through being a Volunteer
ADVISORY ARTICLE
By Alfonso Bucero, PhD
Madrid, Spain
I found several definitions of a volunteer in the literature. For example, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to launch a service. The Cambridge Dictionary says that a volunteer does something to help others willingly and without being forced or paid. My definition of a volunteer is somebody who internally needs to help others, dedicating some personal time and effort to succeed without expecting anything in exchange and feeling so well doing it. Some worldwide professional associations use volunteers to develop and expand their added value in their profession. Some professionals always expect to be paid when they collaborate or help other people in an initiative or a project. I believe that those expectations vary depending on the culture. The truth is that my experience of volunteering in a professional project management association has been, and still is, very positive for my professional development. I wanted to share with you my personal experience.
My story
When I first joined a professional project management association in 1993 (The Project Management Institute – PMI), I had the opportunity to attend a PMI Congress in San Diego. I was astounded by the many people who attended, and I was surprised to be the only Spanish professional who attended. I could not understand that; I promised to find out how vital project management practices and interests were in Spain during those years (the 1990s).
As an international project management practitioner and frequent traveller, I had the opportunity to meet many colleagues from different countries and found a common professional passion among most of them. As soon as I returned to Spain, I searched for some colleagues interested in project management. I discovered ten people from different firms (e.g., NCR, HP, IBM, and some Spanish Engineering and Construction companies). We all wanted to move the project management profession forward and were interested in founding a professional association. We were willing to dedicate some of our free time and effort to doing it. That initiative started in 1997 with peaks and valleys in its component interests, agreements, behaviors, and reactions until the PMI Madrid Spain Chapter chartered in 2002. The professional colleague Jose Antonio Puentes was the Chapter Sponsor and then the first President. I was honored to be a founder member. A typical behavior I observed was that our unique objective was to contribute to moving our profession forward in Spain.
Before creating our first Spanish PMI Chapter, I knew about the LIM (Leadership Institute Meeting), a yearly meeting for PMI volunteers who were members or officers of one Chapter or were seriously thinking about forming one. In those meetings, I discovered a vast window of opportunities to contribute, collaborate, share, and learn. So, volunteering may be a good option if you want to learn skills to advance your career. When you volunteer, you have an excellent opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.
Along 30 years of being a PMI member, I served as a PMI volunteer in different roles, Chapter Sponsor, President of two Chapters (Madrid and Barcelona), member of the Leadership Advisory Group, Regional Mentor, PMIEF EMEA representative, PMI Fellows Selection Committee member, and now a member of the PMI Madrid Spain Chapter Council. I periodically contribute as a volunteer by presenting webinars and delivering PM presentations worldwide. I spent much time reflecting upon my behavior as a volunteer, and I identified my purpose to help organizations and individuals improve their attitudes for more successful projects.
I do not feel like a champion or a winner. Helping people and facilitating people to succeed is part of my spirit. Project management is my passion, and it is what I try to transmit to other people. But to convince you that you should be a volunteer, let me share some of the benefits I found.
The benefits
As soon as you volunteer as a project manager, I am sure you will find some benefits. However, you can develop skills that would be more difficult to extend without playing that role.
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How to cite this article: Bucero, A. (2025). Developing your Project Management skills through being a Volunteer, Advisory article, PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue II, February. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/pmwj149-Feb2025-Bucero-developing-your-project-management-skills-through-volunteering.pdf
About the Author
Alfonso Bucero, PhD
Madrid, Spain
Alfonso Bucero, Ph.D., CPS, ACE, PMP, PMI-RMP, PfMP, SFC, IPMO-E, PMI Fellow, is an International Correspondent and Contributing Editor for the PM World Journal in Madrid, Spain. Mr. Bucero is also the founder and Managing Partner of BUCERO PM Consulting. Alfonso was the founder, sponsor, and President of the PMI Barcelona Chapter until April 2005 and belonged to PMI’s LIAG (Leadership Institute Advisory Group). He was the past President of the PMI Madrid Spain Chapter and then nominated as a PMI EMEA Region 8 Component Mentor. Alfonso was a member of the PMIEF Engagement Committee.
Alfonso has a Computer Science Engineering degree from Universidad Politécnica in Madrid and a Ph.D. in Management from the ISM University. He has 39 years of practical experience and is actively advancing the PM profession in Spain and Europe. Alfonso received the PMI Distinguished Contribution Award on October 9, 2010, the PMI Fellow Award on October 22, 2011, and the PMI Eric Jenett Excellence Award on October 28, 2017. You can contact Mr. Bucero at alfonso.bucero@abucero.com.
To see other works by Alfonso Bucero, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/alfonso-bucero/
