By Ella Verinder, DLE communications intern and freshman at Smith College in Northampton, MA

Joining a board of directors or an advisory board can offer significant benefits for both your career and personal growth. It’s an opportunity to enhance your resume, engage with your community, and develop valuable skills.

But the prospect of joining a board–especially your first–can feel daunting. It can be hard to know what you have to offer, what the board might offer you, or whether the time commitment is worthwhile.

DLE member Auric Enchill joined his first board at the age of 24. He admits it was a big step outside his comfort zone, but, he adds, “the best way to get over those concerns is simply to join and immerse yourself in the experience.”

Auric, who heads business development for his family’s Pittsfield, MA-based business Elegant Stitches, proudly calls himself “Mr. Board” for his leadership roles across diverse organizations, including:

• Board vice president for the Berkshire Immigrant Center
• Board member and Diversity Committee member for Trinity Pawling School
• Board member for the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corp (PERC)
• Board member for the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires (NPC)–his first board stint.

Motivated by his personal goal to “be more community oriented,” Auric has helped these organizations grow, adapt, and make an impact. He describes the variety of roles he takes on: “One day I might be working on marketing, the website, or developing leads; another day it could be something financial. I have so many different touch points, and with each organization, I often find myself stepping in to implement an idea or shape the narrative around it.”

These varied roles have also helped him develop professional expertise. As he explains, “Being involved in different boards and organizations allows you to draw on past experiences–what worked, what didn’t–and apply those lessons strategically. It’s given me a level of perspective and critical thinking that I wouldn’t have gained otherwise.”

McCaela Donovan, associate director of the Western Massachusetts-based NPC (Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires), agrees that a desire to serve the community is essential when considering board membership. She explains, “The most important thing is to understand the mission of the organization that you want to serve. Board members aren’t there just to build their resume–they’re there because they’ve engaged with the organization before, are genuinely curious about it, or have volunteered and feel they have something valuable to contribute.”

As an organization supporting the growth of nonprofits in Berkshire County, the NPC advises its members on recruiting Gen Z and Millennial leaders for committees and board appointments. “These next-gen leaders often feel they aren’t professional enough or experts in anything,” McCaela explains. “To combat this insecurity, we coach organizations to highlight the importance of diverse perspectives and how every viewpoint is essential for keeping them vibrant and relevant to their mission.”

Because each board has unique needs, both McCaela and Auric recommend researching organizations to find the best fit. For a helpful starting point, the NPC offers this guide to joining a board.

When deciding whether to join a board, consider organizations whose values align with your own. For Auric, the Berkshire Immigrant Center resonated strongly “because both of my parents are immigrants from Ghana, and that felt really central to me as far as identity and experiences.”

Once you’ve found the right fit, take note of the time commitments and responsibilities expected of board members. McCaela estimates up to four hours a month is standard for most boards. That commitment rises if you step up to a leadership role, such as president or treasurer.

Through his experience, Auric has gained time management skills that have benefited him as a business owner in a heavy customer service industry. “You need to balance commitments. For example, in addition to attending meetings, board members are expected to attend special events, which for many non-profit organizations include fundraisers like galas or golf tournaments,” he notes.

While serving on a board builds leadership skills and networks, that commitment may feel too aggressive for some. An effective way to test the waters of engagement is to get involved with a project team or committee serving the organization. Explains McCaela, “Just contribute what you can, when you can. That experience will help you learn more about volunteer work and become an ambassador for the organization’s mission by letting more people know about what it’s doing.”