11 April 2008

Print

Membership Benefits Spotlight
Looking for Leadership Opportunities? Become a Volunteer

Call it educational, or career-advancing, or simply a terrific way to meet interesting project management practitioners around the world. Whatever you call it, volunteering is one of the best member benefits available at PMI. It allows you to participate in highly-appreciated work and can put you on the fast track to leadership opportunities.

“I firmly believe that I would not be in the professional capacity that I currently enjoy if I hadn’t become a PMI volunteer and been exposed to a variety of opportunities,” says Herman Walter, PMP, Chair of the 2008 PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct Implementation Advisory Committee.

Mr. Walter and other volunteers recommend that PMI members get involved in PMI communities, member advisory groups, standards projects, credential examination development or other activities. The benefits include great experience, the satisfaction of contributing to the profession and the opportunity to earn Professional Development Units (PDUs), which are essential to the maintenance of project management credentials.

Asbjorn Rolstadas, of the Norwegian University of Sciences and Technology, in Trondheim, Norway, says he has reaped the benefits. “I have met highly competent people with different backgrounds, with whom I have had numerous interesting discussions,” Mr. Rolstadas notes. “I have made new friends and enlarged my professional network.”

If you are a PMI member, you can become a volunteer. It’s simply a matter of matching your skill set to volunteer roles, and of progressing through four levels of learning:

• Learning volunteers are new volunteers, non-elected, non-appointed, who may be working alone to achieve a specific deliverable.

• New volunteer leaders are newly elected or appointed community leaders, community committee chairs or PMI project team leaders.

• Experienced volunteer leaders are veteran community leaders or leaders of large institutional projects or volunteers for new PMI product development, such as members of PMI member advisory groups or presidents or officers of large communities.

• Strategic volunteer leaders are elected or appointed volunteer leaders , such as PMI Board members, leaders of mature communities or members involved in PMI programs or product development. 

After you have become active in a PMI community, or have volunteered on a project team or participated in other PMI volunteering activities, you may be eligible to participate in PMI’s Leadership Institute, an organization that:

• Provides opportunities to develop and sharpen leadership skills
• Enhances leadership knowledge, experience and skills
• Creates a global network of peers and resources for professional and personal growth

Visit PMI Volunteer Opportunities to view details on opportunities available through PMI.
Submit an online application, indicating your areas of interest and expertise. Volunteer positions become available throughout the year, and this ensures your name is kept on file for openings that match your qualifications.