6 Ways a Board Position Can Propel Your Career

1. Strengthen your professional credibility

Selection for a board position shows that an organization is entrusting you with a vital, visible and high-impact role. It is a public endorsement of your expertise and value. This affiliation is one you can communicate and promote, and it can raise your professional profile among your peers, within your organization, and across your industry.

2. Grow your professional network

A board position provides you with an incredible opportunity to meet influential, intelligent and well-connected people. You may meet an organization’s strategic partners, its clients and investors, as well as colleagues and leaders across industries and government. As you meet new people, be sure to connect in meaningful ways; relationships are not built on a single conversation

3. Sharpen your professional skills

Boards help to guide an organization broadly, such as improving its financial health or market competitiveness. You may be involved in organizational investments, performance evaluation, program funding and policy creation. This is a great step up if your career-to-date has been focused on overseeing a single functional area like finance, marketing or operations.

Serving on a board will also strengthen leadership skills, especially if you are heading a committee of other executives, which is quite different than leading a team of direct reports or a cross-functional project team. And, if the committee meets remotely, directing them can also sharpen remote team management skills.

A board position may also provide you with an opportunity to coach and mentor others, including members of the organization’s management team or junior board colleagues.

In addition, specific training or certifications may be required as part of your board position commitment. This will add to your professional wheelhouse and can be beneficial as you advance your career in any capacity.

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4. Gain exposure and insight

The exposure gained from a board position enhances your marketability and can be especially beneficial if you choose to pursue a role in a different industry or want to transition to a non-profit organization.

If you are serving on a non-profit board or private board, the role can lay the groundwork for potential leadership positions in that organization or similar ones in the future.

5. Reinvigorate your career

You can use your expertise and skills as a board member to make a difference in a company, industry, community, and possibly, in a lot of individual lives—especially if you work with a non-profit organization. The resulting inspiration, connection, and engagement can motivate and propel you to take your career to the next level.

6. Increased visibility

Exhibiting solid performance on a board position, and utilizing your expertise to contribute meaningfully to its mission and goals, will elevate your professional reputation. You will be seen as a dedicated, strategic, go-to person with great insight who gets things done.

Your visibility and value within the organization and with stakeholders and other business leaders will grow. These leaders, as well as your board colleagues, will know the benefits of working with you firsthand, which can be to your advantage as you pursue future board roles or employment opportunities.

Serving on a board position is a great way to expand your career experience, whether you’re helping a non-profit or private board organization or a public corporate entity.

The benefits are many. It will provide you with opportunities to broaden and sharpen skills, grow your professional network and gain exposure to new industries and areas of business that will drive professional growth. Joining a board will help you elevate your reputation and strengthen your personal brand, which are key elements to fuel career advancement.

Don’t just take my word for it. Read what Forbes has to say about it.

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