Charly Massey, Data Intelligence Consultant, Enriched Analysis.
6 min read - 1,500 words
This started with Shift ↗️, an enthusiastically received series of career transformation events. Featuring dynamic panel discussions, transformation sessions, and insider's guide to building rapport with recruitment specialists, led by Hafsah Bhatti from Coulter Partners*
When considering this value exchange, let's focus on what matters most to you. To paraphrase Herminia Ibarra, seeking a perfect state of career authenticity or setting on a path to your final peak of success is an illusion. The truth is, there is no permanent summit—each achievement reveals new peaks to conquer. 🗻
Remember: the greenest grass grows where it's watered. Instead of worrying about what's over the fence, focus on nurturing your own path and volunteering can guide each step.
Values/Priorities - Figuring out what matters most to you
Realising that the self is not fixed but constantly evolving can be liberating (and yes, knee-trembling). If you approach personal development as an experiment, you'll give yourself the freedom to try new approaches without fear of compromising your core values. Think of it as fast prototyping with your identity.
What are your core values? Volunteering provides an excellent space to explore new areas and discover what truly matters to you. By opening yourself to opportunities and noticing what resonates, you can uncover your values.
Through my experience, I've learned that my core values include fairness for all humankind, accessibility to quality higher education, and improving public scientific understanding.
Cultivating sustainable happiness
Taking your professional self seriously can be incredibly stressful. When under pressure, finding ways to stay happy becomes crucial. Focusing too heavily on ourselves can disrupt the balance between personal growth, contentment, and relationships.
Try shifting from an egocentric to an allocentric perspective—focus on understanding others' viewpoints to build stronger social bonds. This broader perspective naturally boosts well-being. True self-care goes beyond personal fulfilment—it means enriching others' lives, which leads to deeper, more enduring happiness.
Volunteering operates under different rules than paid work—it offers more freedom and openness, giving you permission to be vulnerable. When you feel lost, it serves as an anchor. During career transitions, you might feel invisible, but volunteering provides visibility and purpose—your contributions create tangible impact.
Social Connection
After discovering your core motivations and seeing how focusing on others enhances both happiness and career readiness, it's time to find your professional allies.
Where can you meet these like-minded individuals? You guessed it.
Social connections are crucial during career transitions and job searches. Job hunting can feel isolating and building sustainable networks—both long-term and short-term—keeps doors open for future opportunities and helps you stay current with industry trends.
“I had a network that highlighted potential jobs to me, support from peeps that had gone through voluntary redundancy, intros to others to help me get me head around opportunities I wasn’t aware of”
Instead of subjecting yourself to purely transactional networking, you can build authentic relationships with others who share your attitudes and interests. In a space removed from business politics and hierarchy, these meaningful professional connections can provide valuable feedback about your strengths and highlight new paths to explore.
“Bernie said after we ran a pitching event that I should find a job that allows you to do this all the time because you are good at it"
It doesn't have to be a huge time commitment either. Dave Loughton from the Data Science Festival explains that volunteers at their popular balloted entry events get unrestricted access to tech industry leaders and "led to seriously high-flying, life-changing positions."
Explore and reflect your personal specialness
Experiment with new identities: Step outside your comfort zone with a playful mindset. Look beyond volunteering opportunities that just match your chosen career path—exploring new areas often yields unexpected insights. During major transitions, many people feel they must choose between being effective or authentic—often leading to an overly cautious approach that achieves neither.
Volunteering gives you a chance to demonstrate skills and interests that your day job's constraints don't allow. Your choices showcase your personality. For instance, working with creative projects demonstrates adaptability and points to an interesting collaborator, while first aid volunteering shows responsibility, compassion, and practical skills.
Direct support roles often uncover hidden talents. Through one-to-one A-Level coaching with The Access Project, I discovered my knack for explaining complex concepts to skeptical audiences, helping them understand and articulate challenging ideas. This phone-based coaching has significantly enhanced the empathy I bring to analysis and presentations in my professional work.