In this 3-minute conversation, Tom Dolan, Associate Director of Texas Tech University at Abilene shares unemployment lesson of volunteering.

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Unemployment Lessons: VOLUNTEER
Tom Dolan

Transcript of Jobs Solutions Audio Discussion

I was minding my own business in 2002 when my boss came into my office and informed me my position would be terminated in six months. “You’re too valuable to get rid off,” my co-workers had said. “Your contributions are critical, so you have great job security.” They were wrong. Bluntly, I was one of the two highest paid staff members. No matter the value of our work, we were the first to lose our jobs. The cold hard choice was laying off two of us or four other employees.

I was extremely fortunate to make immediate contact with a mentor who led me through the wilderness. One of several bits of advice from my mentor that proved valuable during and after unemployment was this: VOLUNTEER.

Six months before my unexpected unemployment, I noticed a new non-profit in the neighborhood while driving to work. Based on the sage advice of my mentor, I walked into the doors of the non-profit  organization, unannounced, the very first day of my unemployment. I discovered the organization had great need for computer help, so I worked – or rather, volunteered – for 10 hours a week for several months. I continue volunteering there today despite the fact I am now gainfully employed.

My mentor’s advice about volunteering was based on two basic principles: sanity and productivity.
(1) Sanity: Volunteer work helped keep me and my family on an even keel during unemployment. Why? Because the idea of ‘having something to do’ gives meaning to life and helps you realize life does not stop when you lose a job. Find some people you like who are working on a cause you are passionate about and spend significant time helping. Spend at least ten hours a week. Spread your volunteer hours out across four or five days to give each day purpose. Treat your volunteer work as a mini-job – your family, friends, pets and others will thank you.
(2) Productivity: An unwritten rule of the middle class is that our job is our life. Volunteering may not pay a salary, but it keeps you “employed” with productive, purpose-filled efforts. Here’s a secret: Volunteer with people you’d like to work for. Find out what potential new bosses are passionate about and volunteer with those causes. Your world will expand and you will meet new people. And, who knows, you may land a job because your face and name are seen clearly on the radar screen of a potential employer.

Let me close with some of my own advice – something I share with family, friends, and professional colleagues. Keep volunteering after you get a job. Why? Because that unwritten rule of the middle class is simply wrong – your job is NOT your life. Your life is, instead, outside your job – first with family and then with something you are passionate about. Even if you are not in danger of losing your job, I encourage you to avoid getting caught up in the middle-class jobs rat race. Instead, volunteer so you can diversify your life into what is really significant.

I’m Tom Dolan. You can contact me via e-mail at [email protected]. In addition to my “real” job as the Associate Director of Texas Tech University in Abilene, I’m a long-time technical consultant for organizations, companies, and individuals. Please feel free to comment on any aspect of this podcast, Unemployment Lessons: VOLUNTEER. Just enter your ideas or questions in the “Leave a Reply” box at the bottom of the symposium text, or send an e-mail to [email protected].

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