Board roles build valuable skills for young professionals
How joining the ITI Board early in your career can help you gain important skills and develop your professionalism.
As a young professional just starting out in the world of work, it can be challenging to gain the skills and experience needed to advance your career. Joining the ITI Board is an often-overlooked opportunity for personal and professional growth, so here we explore the benefits of being on the board and demonstrate how it can help you develop valuable skills early in your career.
Develop strategic thinking skills
Serving on a board provides a unique opportunity to develop your strategic thinking skills. As a board member, you will be involved in making critical decisions that have an impact on ITI’s future, like setting the medium and long-term strategic priorities and allocating resources. Through this experience you will learn how to consider the big picture, plan ahead, weigh up different options, and make informed decisions – all skills that are highly valued in any professional setting and essential to running a successful business.
Learn to communicate and collaborate effectively
Board membership offers the chance to enhance your communication and collaboration skills. You will work closely with other board members, staff, and stakeholders to realise common goals, and to achieve this requires effective communication, including active listening, and the ability to build consensus. These are essential business skills that will help you become a more effective team player or client negotiator.
Gaining practical business skills
As a board member, you will be exposed to budgeting, financial reporting, and the strategic planning process, all of which provide valuable insights into how successful organisations operate. You will also learn about good practice in governance and how to identify and mitigate potential business risks. This knowledge is all highly transferable and can be applied in your own work or business, helping you become a more experienced, effective and well-rounded professional.
Expanding your professional network
Joining the ITI Board will also help you expand your professional network as it provides the opportunity to connect with experienced professionals in your field, as well as with people from different backgrounds and experiences from your own. The connections you make can last a lifetime and can lead to valuable mentorship opportunities, professional partnerships, and even future job referrals.
Giving back to your community
Finally, serving on the board of a not-for-profit organisation like ITI is a great way to make a positive impact in your field. By contributing your time, skills, and expertise, you will be playing an important part in supporting the growth and development of the translation and interpreting profession. What's more, you'll also gain a real sense of personal fulfilment and purpose.
So what's stopping you?
Joining the ITI Board isn't just a role reserved for well-established members. In fact, we actively seek members who are at an earlier stage in their career so that the full range of members' experiences are properly reflected in decision making. And as we've shown, there is a lot to be gained for you as an individual. In today’s competitive market it's important to proactively seek out opportunities that will differentiate you and accelerate your professional growth and joining the board of a small organisation like ITI can be a powerful way to achieve this.
So why not embrace the opportunities that come with board membership to develop a wide set of skills, gain valuable experience, and enhance your standing in the industry? When nominations open (usually in December), put yourself forward — the benefits can be transformative.
