One of the best ways to move up in your career and develop your leadership skills is through joining a committee. I will share how…

I have been a member of the CACEE Competencies Committee for the past 4 years, and was a member of the task force that created the CACEE Competencies. Over the years, I have seen the use of the Competencies grow in CACEE. The CACEE Conference has featured sessions that have given space for CACEE members to learn more about the Competencies and ways to integrate them into their roles and professional development. Over the past few years, the Competencies have become more integrated into the Conference, framing the themes of each of the conference days and the networking sessions.

Not only have I seen the growth of the Competencies, but I have also witnessed my own growth since becoming involved with the Competencies - going from Task Force Member to Committee member to Co-Chair. I am an example of how one could grow professionally through volunteering in a committee. Volunteering (especially within a professional association like CACEE) can be a great way to do professional development and gain skills to move up in your career. Responsibilities of being a co-chair (such as setting the direction and goals for the committee, deciding on meeting agenda topics and delegating tasks) will allow me to develop skills that will help me if I were to enter more leadership/managerial related roles in the future.

Coincidentally, I have personally been able to grow and develop my CACEE Competencies as well:

Collaboration - I am regularly collaborating with my fellow CACEE Competencies members. Being a member of this Committee has also given me the chance to collaborate with other CACEE members, especially in regards to planning the CACEE Competency conference sessions for the CACEE Conference.

Communication - the CACEE Competency members and myself are frequently thinking of messaging to relay to the CACEE members - whether it is articles for CACEE Exchange, social media posts, or email messaging - all with the goal of sharing information about the Competencies, sharing stories of how CACEE members have used the Competencies, and gathering insights from CACEE members.

Digital Literacy - as time has gone on we have become a more digital world and digital tools have become more prevalent in our work. In the Committee, we have used social media to build awareness of the Competencies. I have had to build up my knowledge in collaborative document sharing tools (like Google Drive)  and mailing platforms like Outlook - to continue to find ways to create and share notes and tasks effectively and efficiently.

Subject Matter Experts - A big part of being a member of the CACEE Competency Committee is continuing to be a Subject Matter Expert in the content of the Competencies while also seeing how the content will need to be updated to best reflect the skills and topics that are top of mind for CACEE members.

Speaking of updates, the CACEE Competencies Committee is seeking new members! The goals and responsibilities of this Committee keep on growing, as the Competencies continue to have an influence in the professional development of CACEE members. If you are interested in shaping the future direction and use of the Competencies, consider joining the CACEE Competencies Committee. This is a great committee to join if you are looking to develop skills in areas such as marketing, learning and development, strategy and leadership. One of the great perks of being a part of this committee is that we are open to members contributing in ways that fit their own professional development goals.

If you are interested in learning more or possibly getting involved with the CACEE Competencies Committee, please contact the Committee co-chairs Amy Smith (asmith@bcitsa.ca) and/or Nayelli Perez (nayelli.perez@ubc.ca).