Are we really too busy… to give back?

Recently, I took time away from my busy Recruiting Marketing duties to volunteer to help and review resumes during City Year’s annual resume workshop hosted here in the Bain Boston office.  During this workshop, Bain employees volunteer to participate in 1-on-1 resume critique sessions with individual City Year Corps members to assist them in the development and refinement of their resumes. This is just one of the many annual volunteer opportunities that take place here in the Bain Boston office and I was excited to be a part of it, admittedly because I don’t feel like I set aside enough time as I like to volunteer. I always find myself saying “I am too busy” or I have a “deadline” to make.  However, this time I wanted to go outside of my comfort zone and I am so glad I did.

During this workshop, I met with four different City Year Corp members individually for 20 minutes each and was truly amazed and impressed by their varying ranges of passion and intelligence. Not only did they each have impressive resumes, but these young adults  have experienced more in their own young lives than I ever did at their age. And they all had such high aspirations and goals in life, I was truly amazed by all of them. I felt honored just by having the chance to meet and talk with each of them. After my allotted “two hours” of volunteering were up, I left the workshop feeling inspired and refreshed as I returned back to my desk to pick up where I had left off.  Taking that small morning break, to do something I don’t do nearly enough, made me realize how much of “myself” I lose at times when I am just buried in my desk…staring intently at my computer screen.

As I reflect back on this recent experience, it brings me back down to earth a little.  More often than I like to admit, I do not always volunteer or participate in activities outside of work that I want to or feel I should because I am “too busy”  (busy job, head of household, mom of 11 month old baby girl, etc.) But am I really? Then I think of all the “busy” people out there that are always volunteering and often wonder how they do it all.  However, after today’s experience, now I think I understand how and why they do it.  I realize now, that taking that time away from my own busy job (and life) to help someone else out for a few hours, was really an enriching experience and it actually helped me feel more balanced throughout the rest of my day.

I am really thankful that Bain provides us with so many opportunities like these to get involved in activities outside of our normal scope.  Taking “that time” away to partake in these outside opportunities really helps you be better at your own job (in and outside the office) because you come back feeling more refreshed and recharged in a way.  The next time another volunteer opportunity in our office comes up, I am hopeful I won’t say “I am too busy” and that I take advantage of it again.  Spending those few hours with the City Year Corp members had more of an impact on me than I ever thought it would.

Thank you Bain for giving me the chance to “step away” recently, so I could offer my time and “give it back” to someone else, in hopes that it made a positive impact on their future.  I look forward to participating in this annual event (and hopefully others like it) in the years to come.