Empower Work Volunteer Spotlight: Abby Swerin

This post is part of our peer counselor Q&A series, which shares perspectives of our dedicated and talented volunteers about why they joined Empower Work.

Abby Swerin is a Marketing professional who has volunteered with Empower Work for 2 years with over 400 hours on the text line. Her passion areas include career hiring, equitable workplaces and financial security for women. She's currently located in Chicago, IL where she loves to stay active, volunteer on the line with Empower Work and grow professionally with Lean In. 

Where did you hear about Empower Work?

I started volunteering two years ago this summer. I read a Forbes article where Empower Work was featured. I was looking for organizations to volunteer with. At the time, I had been laid off from a tech company, and I was looking to give back after going through a few rounds of layoffs. I was like,”How can I spend time in a way that I am passionate about?” And I was searching for organizations that were providing the knowledge to deal with toxic workplaces and micromanagement.

A lot of employees go through similar situations, and usually it's micromanagement and toxic workplaces. I had realized that even if you’re a high performing employee, you're not safe at an organization. Anyone can be laid off. So I was just looking for organizations who supported people going through similar situations, and I found the Forbes article.

Why did you decide to volunteer with Empower Work? 

Empower Work’s blog articles seemed so relevant and timely. I was just very impressed with the content provided. Based on the experiences I was going through, the resources and the service seemed so important. I would say Empower Work really resonated from a content perspective. I wanted to spend time learning, and helping—and it's so rewarding. The line just continues— unfortunately—to get busier and busier.

You've probably had so many impactful conversations in the two years you've been volunteering with us. Do you have a memorable experience that you've had on the line that sticks out?

That's a really tough question because every conversation is so rewarding. I feel like when  you really resonate with the person reaching out, and when you build a connection, it's very comfortable, and they feel empowered right away. When people are quick to react and take back their power—whether it's looking for new roles or talking to management or really trusting their intuition—I would say it's most rewarding.

I would never want anyone to be financially impacted. So when I have a conversation with a texter and they are quick to handle a situation and therefore, are not financially impacted by the mass layoffs, that's most rewarding. I feel like America has just been financially impacted so negatively since the pandemic. So it's so rewarding when the texter is able to quickly handle the situation. My biggest goal is to make sure other people aren't as financially impacted as I've been in the past.

What does being a volunteer mean to you?

It's so meaningful to work for an organization that's doing so much good. There's only a few organizations, to me, that really stand out for giving back to employees during a really difficult time. And Empower Work is one of them. Empower Work is an organization that's doing really great work, to give back and help people claim their journeys. 

I think it’s important for women too, especially —claiming your journey. I feel like women, especially around COVID were impacted so negatively. So, being able to volunteer for an organization that is helping employees claim their journeys is so important. 

How do you fit volunteering into your life? 

It's something I'm so passionate about. So I always make sure to volunteer each week because it's so rewarding and it's so needed. You get to connect with really great people too. It's just something I've worked into my schedule. I map out my week usually the weekend or week before.

There are so many shifts. I'm in the Midwest, so it's easy to sign up for a shift or an evening after I get back from work. It's so easy to find time, especially since it's West Coast time, and I'm in the Midwest. There are plenty of hour options. I always set a goal to volunteer for at least 2-4 hours per week. 

Has Empower Work helped you with skills in your personal or professional life? What are some of those skills/your favorite skill?

It's so interesting because it's kind of like learning to be a therapist— learning how to be a good listener without planning ahead, letting the texter come to their own solution, and helping to guide them with helpful questions without making statements. These skills help you become a better human and a better leader. I would also say admiring a person for taking the step to seek support and supporting them with open-ended questions is also a really great skill set to have in life. 

Is there anything else you want to add?

It's such a great organization to reach out to, no matter what problem you have at work because, honestly, it's terrifying when life gets taken out of your hands from a financial perspective at a company. So it's such a great organization that's doing so much for people. It's a really terrifying time when you're not financially secure, so having an organization to seek support with when you're scared is so important.

*Note: Empower Work provides non-legal support for workplace challenges. This information, while authoritative, is not legal advice or guaranteed for legality. Employment laws and regulations vary by state. We recommend consulting with state resources for specific interpretation and decisions. If you believe you were discriminated against in violation of the law, we recommend you seek legal advice.