The period of time after graduating is overwhelming and filled with conflicting emotions. I experienced relief about successfully completing graduate school, excitement and apprehension about finding and starting my first genetic counseling (GC) job, and anxiety surrounding studying and taking the board examination. I also felt hungry; I had a nervous energy. I was finally free to make my own decisions about my career and where I invested my time, outside of the curriculum and requirements of school. And concurrently, there was a new type of pressure. What felt like an unspoken expectation to become a contributing member of the GC workforce weighed heavy on me. It felt as though I was surrounded by peers who were juggling a hundred balls without seemingly dropping a single one, and I felt compelled to keep up. 

My initial decision to take on volunteer roles was therefore born largely from this (perhaps self-imposed) pressure to become more involved in the GC community to be considered a “good” GC, and to continue expanding my skill set and consequently my resume. I felt some hesitation, primarily about the time commitment of a volunteer position while acclimating to a new job. There was also a significant amount of “imposter syndrome”; how could I, a new baby GC, be useful and impactful amongst the voices of those more experienced colleagues I would be working alongside? 

I first volunteered with my local state GC society, where I was involved for a few years in the Membership Committee and Outreach Subcommittee, eventually becoming co-chair of those committees before moving out of state and leaving the society. I also volunteered as a column editor for Perspectives in Genetic Counseling, where initially my role focused only on soliciting articles about life as a new graduate (a topic I felt comfortable and familiar with in the early days of my career) and later expanded to a broader range of topics. After over four years working with Perspectives, my time on the committee is coming to a close at the end of this year. While reflecting back and considering if I want to devote my time to any new volunteering positions, I’m not sure I volunteered for these two opportunities for the “right” reasons initially. However, the experiences changed my outlook on where the true value lies. I gained much more than just a few bullet points on my resume, and I also learned a lot about how to successfully integrate volunteerism into my career in a beneficial way, instead of just checking a box on my own made-up list of what constitutes a successful GC. 

What I've Gained in Volunteering

1. Connection: This might be the most important one, particularly for someone who now works remotely full time. Volunteering both locally and nationally gave me so many opportunities to connect with other GCs whoI would never have crossed paths with otherwise. It helped me feel more connected to the community and expand my networking web outside of my specialty.

2. A voice: The ability to contribute meaningfully to the workings of a relatively new state society and to help others convey their messages to the Perspectives readership gave me a new sense of purpose and fulfillment in my career that my job alone could not provide. 

3. New and improved skills: I knew after graduating that an area I wanted to improve upon was my leadership skills. This was something I knew I would not have immediate opportunity for in my job, so I sought a volunteering role with my local GC society that could lend itself to that need, by becoming an eventual co-chair of the committee I joined. This helped my confidence in my ability to be a meaningful contributor to future volunteer positions and eased some of the “imposter syndrome” I felt as a new graduate. 

Advice for my Newly Graduated Self

1. Consider the timing commitments upfront: Before volunteering, I would consider carefully the time commitment of the role and think ahead about how that fits with your job or other obligations. Determine if meetings are required, if they happen during work hours and if the timing is doable amid the requirements and expectations of day-to-day work and life outside of work. Also consider the length of the volunteering commitment, if you expect your free time and bandwidth to change over the years. 
2. Pursue a passion: It is much easier to devote time to something you feel passionate about (especially when you aren’t being paid for it!). As someone who has always loved writing and reading, joining the Perspectives Content Committee was a great fit for me and my interests outside of being a GC, which made the work feel enjoyable and invigorating and a nice departure from my daily tasks for my job.

As I wrap up my time here at Perspectives, I feel a mix of gratitude for all I learned and the connections I made, as well as an unexpected excitement as I consider what new endeavor I can devote this spare time toward when I feel ready again. Not everyone is in a place, personally or professionally, to volunteer at all times throughout their careers. But if it is a ball you can juggle without dropping the others you have in the air, there can be much to gain from a thoughtfully chosen volunteer experience. 

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