I’d been volunteering informally with local senior panels, helping out with events hosted at my places of work and got increasingly more and more involved when I was invited to the Volunteer Conference in
Sheffield. I met several members of the Young Members Board, including their executive team, and we all got to hear the then Chair speak about the Board’s place at the Institution and the activities it was involved in shaping and delivering. After the Conference, I looked into what the YMB do on the website and submitted an informal application. I originally applied to represent my specialism within the Division & Groups structure, but that role was filled by someone else. Luckily, there was another vacancy that matched my experience and interests as their representative for the Education Theme. I had a good amount of experience in a variety of schools outreach programmes, and had come through school a little differently than many others, so I thought that would be a good opportunity for me to get involved based on those experiences.
Since then, as a Board we have improved the openness and transparency associated with the recruitment process, advertising vacancies much more widely, and hopefully making it even more clear what is expected from each role and what people could expect to benefit from by being involved.
My original motives for getting involved with the YMB were partially selfish; I saw the Board as a great opportunity to develop skills that I would struggle to do in my professional role at the time. I’ve stayed an active part of the Board for the last six years as I realised that I could really help others make informed decisions and influence the strategic direction of the Institution.
Without any sense of cliché, the benefits have been many and varied; I’ve had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with countless Young Members and volunteers from around the world. I’ve also had the chance to represent Young Members across the Institution’s strategic boards, the Trustee Board, and the President and CEO directly. Through the Board, I’ve been fortunate to travel around the UK, visiting a number of new places, seeing success in industry & academia, and witnessing our volunteer network in action. I’ve been back to Formula Student as a volunteer years after competing, hung out with Wing Commander Andy Green at the Houses of Parliament, and perhaps most importantly, made many new friends and professional contacts alike.
When I joined the Board, my professional role was a highly technical one, with little opportunity to directly develop many of the professional and personal skills associated with furthering my career. Through the YMB, I was able to develop my project management, meeting facilitation and presentation skills. Furthermore, as a member of the Executive team I have had the chance to develop my leadership skills. Through the course of my involvement with the Board, I’ve also had the chance to use some of the skills and competences from my day job in a completely different context, which of course helps develop them further. I don’t hesitate in saying that the skills I have acquired and developed through the YMB have helped me progress my own career greatly.
As a Board, we’re always looking for active and enthusiastic Young Members to join us. We always have a number of rolling vacancies that will be listed on the website, and advertised through our social media channels as appropriate. The Board, and indeed the entire Volunteer Network, have done so much over the years, but there is even more that we could collectively do, so whether your motivations are selfish, or selfless, please do consider volunteering.
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