Volunteering: A Fed's Guide to giving back during the Season of Giving

Gillian Anderson once said "Be of service. Whether you make yourself available to a friend or co-worker, or you make time every month to do volunteer work, there is nothing that harvests more of a feeling of empowerment than being of service to someone in need." Federal employees have great resilience in overcoming a variety of challenges in the federal work space to meet agency goals. Their tenacity is also used in service to others. On occasion, some feds will take time out to volunteer in their local communities throughout the year as a means of giving back.

So how does one find the time to volunteer during this holiday season when schedules are packed with so many other requirements? Check out this Fed's Guide to Volunteering during the Season of Giving.

1. Volunteer for projects that peak your interest and leverage your skills by checking out Serve.gov for opportunities near you
2. Support annual charity programs such as the Combined Federal Campaign, Special Olympics, Feds Feed Families, Toys for Tots and many others to make an impact year round
3. Consider your next team building event as a volunteer group effort
4. Encourage employees to seek out volunteer opportunities that will engage, empower and explore the world around them
5. Share employee success stories regarding volunteering in office newspapers and other employee communications
6. Nominate  extraordinary coworkers for the President's Volunteer Service Awards Program to recognize their amazing volunteer efforts
7. Donate additional leave to co-workers in need

This is Not Your Mother's Career Path: 7 Tips to develop a Credible IDP

It is the first of November, and some of us are diving into the yearly individual development plan (IDP) phase- phase two. Phase one included management's review of your of your initial drafts and now you are finalizing details on what you really want out of your career.

Everyone will try to share insight including your Mom on how to plan your professional development. This is a good opportunity to listen with "a grain of salt" and then make decisions based on your actual career goals. Not the goals that someone has suggested you follow. For example, in the no so distant past some people stayed with the same federal agency for 30 to 40 years only to retire and ride off into the sunset.

Those days for the most part are over due to a fluctuating economy, continuing resolutions, reorganized structures as well as "right-sizing" agency offices under the guise that efficiency will occur in the end. Feds, especially women can take a more proactive approach to their jobs by letting go of the perception that every job will last for lifetime as in bygone eras.
Top 7 Tips to Develop a Credible IDP:

1. Take time to identify the type of work that you are passionate about
2. Document your career progression using an IDP to map your progress for 2 to 5 years
3. Leverage new workplace skills by using business acumen books as part of your professional development
4. Seek leadership training opportunities such as the OPM Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program
5. Draft as well as revise your IDP to ensure you achieve the desired career results
6. Share your ideas with a mentor and seek guidance on diverse training programs
7. Consider the possibly of changing careers if the one you have does not readily meet your professional and personal needs