For Me, the Future of Work Looks Like Volunteering
Eighteen months into my career break, my days continue to be a mix of relaxation, gym classes, long walks, reading, conversations with friends and family, and volunteering. I’m occasionally talking with corporate recruiters, but during another beautiful Seattle summer, I’m not prioritizing a return to corporate work.
Volunteering has taken a few different forms for me. I’ve been occasionally having career-related conversations with students and recent alumni of my college, many of whom weren’t born during the dot-com bubble that burst while I was in school, and who need to be creative and unorthodox in their job searches. I’ve also been volunteering my time for housing, public transportation, and walkability of my local neighborhoods. The recent news that Sound Transit has delayed its voter-approved extension of light rail to Ballard led to the creation of Save Ballard Rail, an advocacy group that I’ve joined. Our group already has the attention of transit officials, and we’re going to keep making noise until we get the project done sooner. Earlier this year, I also answered a call to become an SEA Ambassador, a part-time volunteer assisting travelers at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, in anticipation of a surge of travelers for the FIFA World Cup.
From my experience, volunteering can take as much time and energy as I’m willing to put in. Most of the organizations I volunteer with have regular meetings, ongoing projects, and opportunities to join larger efforts if I want to. Some organizations that lobby government officials have meetings with those officials, or with other organizations with similar goals, for example. After having done a few exciting and exhausting shifts at the airport, I’ve been exploring its full-time volunteer program, which requires a background check and a six-month commitment. One of my fellow volunteers, an employee at the Port of Seattle, learned about my professional background and suggested that I join the port as an employee to improve its software; I’m considering that, too.
It’s really inspiring to see how volunteer-driven campaigns and organizations attract people who have a common purpose. Particularly when my fellow volunteers live in my same neighborhood, I feel like I’m making more meaningful connections through volunteering than I had been making through work. It feels genuinely better to be doing work, even without pay, that helps people out. It’s possible to find professional work with a social good, but at a time when most tech companies that I talk to seem obsessed with novel, trendy, high-margin, high-growth technologies, I find myself drawn to simpler and more pragmatic projects.
Sometimes, I get questions about whether I consider myself “retired.” I’m still avoiding that word, and at the same time, I have the privilege to be very selective about where I’d consider working next. My experience as a volunteer has made me wonder whether there’s paid work that aligns with my interests in improving my city and helping the people in and around it. That work is likely to pay less than the market rate for engineering in artificial intelligence or other hot fields, but that’s less of a concern for me. I’m also interested in work on open source projects that can be used by multiple organizations, or as a consultant to help implement or manage operations for a nonprofit or social-good organization, even if it’s part time. Managing my time well also includes taking time off for recreation and improvement, especially during a beautiful Washington summer. Just because I’m not working doesn’t mean my calendar is empty; to the contrary, it can get uncomfortably full if I’m not careful. I’m seeking good uses of my time that I can sustain for a while.