Three reasons a board role could boost your career
6 February 2020: do you have your sights set on a non-executive director (NED) position? Or aspirations to build a portfolio career one day? Taking a board, committee, governor or trustee position in an organisation outside of your main career path can lay the groundwork for future success – it’s never too early to get started.
Here are three top reasons to invest time in such a role:
- Set yourself apart in a competitive market
- Build career resilience
- Gain new industry knowledge
A board, committee, trustee or governor position sets you apart, whether from other colleagues vying for a promotion or from the pool of candidates applying for a new role. When employers are making a final decision between candidates with similar skills and experience, a board role will give you a point of difference and mark you out as a leader (even if you don’t have leadership experience yet). Employers aren’t just recruiting your core skills; they are hiring the whole package – so build the package.
Joining a board will automatically enrich your network with a group of people you may never have met otherwise. As your horizons and networks expand, these relationships could be enormously useful to you if you need a career change – whether because of redundancy, relocation or simply a desire to explore another industry or sector.
A board role in a different sector or industry broadens your current knowledge base and exposes you to the intellectual challenge of thinking through an entirely new set of issues. You will learn about new trends and are likely to take back ideas and knowledge that can help you in your current role. You will be surprised at how much benefit your outside expertise will bring to a new organisation too.
This article was inspired by an event organised by the ICAEW Women in Finance Community and you can find out more about board opportunities at Women on Boards UK.