An ASIS member for nearly 20 years, John A. Petruzzi, Jr., CPP, will serve as president of the association’s Global Board of Directors in 2021. You can learn more about Petruzzi’s goals for the coming year in his Q&A with Security Management magazine earlier this month.
The ASIS Blog asked Petruzzi to discuss the impact of his ASIS volunteer roles on his career.
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JP: I’ve often said that I owe much of my success to the power of the ASIS family.
From my personal experience, which mirrors the feelings of many of my mentors, volunteering is a two-way street. However much you put in, you will more than likely reap twice the reward. In particular, volunteering creates immeasurable value by building a broad personal network. Here are a few key highlights on the topic:
Through volunteering, you’ll have the opportunity to meet people you more than likely wouldn’t meet in your normal walk of life, whether business or personal. These connections will begin to diversify your network, and—equally importantly—they should begin to diversify your thought processes. I strongly feel that this diversification positively influences your career journey.
Besides building your network and diversity of thought, your volunteer work will more than likely also introduce you to new challenges that will require you to leave your comfort zone and build new skills. Think of how these problem-solving process will better develop you as an individual contributor, manager, and leader. Super-positive growth, from where I sit.
One area that I think we often miss when talking about volunteering—which, to me, is really the capstone—is truly making a difference. I firmly believe that if you decide to jump headfirst into the world of volunteering, you’ll quickly find things that need refining. Your own personal life experiences influence the way you see the role and its responsibilities. In many cases, there will be opportunities to leverage your unique experiences. As you drive these changes into your new community, others will undoubtedly benefit.
There are many quotes out there about the rewards of volunteering, but my feeling is simply this: there is no better feeling than that created by positively impacting the lives of others. In my time with ASIS, I can say one thing, volunteering has positively influenced my life due to the network I’ve leveraged. This is the power of the ASIS Family!
