Yesterday, I reported how volunteerism can help your career (read that article). Today we discuss how it can hurt.
The Miller-Driscoll PTA ousted Robert Burkhart and yours truly from the Executive Board. As such, we made the press. So did the parents who forced us out and caused others to resign. Read about the scandal by clicking here.
Since I am a freelance writer, this aided my “career” if you call earning a few dollars an article a career.
However, for those who had political aspirations (fortunately I don’t), they will always have to answer to this “stain.”
Even worse, their spouses will too. Now some of you may think that could affect my spouse, but I am a writer reporting a story; even though I am a central figure to it, I am simply doing my job. And fortunately, I have all of the email chains, the hard copy of documents etc. to back up the story.
It does hurt the spouses of the people who are central to the “scandal,” no matter which side of the aisle they are on, and no matter whether they are on the “right” side or “wrong” side, as deemed by themselves and the public. This is particularly true when they are subject to background checks.
For those volunteers who have common names, it would have to be a national scandal to do any real damage. But for those who have a less common name, their spouse’s local scandal will pull up if the firm doing the check searches Google. This shouldn’t prevent the spouse from getting the job, but it is naïve to think they won’t have to answer to it.
So assuming the negative press or gossip doesn’t hurt your career or spouse, what can it hurt?
Well it definitely can hurt your ego. Fortunately for me, my ego is not nearly as large as people assume; if it were I would still be a financial officer in the ivory tower, instead of hauling my son to events with my hair in a hat and my shirttail untucked.
The only time my dander rises is when I am accused of being a thief or intentionally harming an organization for which I am charged. So I am definitely guilty of these feelings right now.
The larger danger of volunteerism is it can prevent you from being invited to volunteer again. And as I have always preached to people who ask, the people in corner offices always have volunteering on their resume.
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