In this Q&A, peer counselor Abby Swerin shares her experience volunteering with Empower Work and how it’s helped her through a transitional period in her life. 

What inspired you to volunteer at Empower Work?

I’m going through a career transition right now, so I decided to spend my time giving back and sharing my experiences so others can learn from them and hopefully not encounter some of the same difficulties. During my time in Corporate America, I navigated very difficult situations. So, I was so happy to have the time to give back, help others, and learn from others. It’s such an incredible organization that’s helping so many people. It’s such a privilege being able to volunteer for Empower Work when there are so many people going through challenging situations in the workplace right now.

You mentioned that you volunteered through a transitional period. When did you start volunteering and how has volunteering been helpful during this time?

I’m pretty new to Empower Work—my cohort just started a few months ago. I found that giving back to others is such a rewarding way to spend your time and it’s so important to surround yourself with like-minded people. It’s such a great opportunity to improve the quality of your life during a tough time—to spend your time around people who inspire you and are similar to you. It’s great to work with such supportive and kind people. In some workplaces, you see a lot of silos, so during a life transition, it’s really important to prioritize connections and giving back. While I have the time to do so, and even after I find myself in my next career step, volunteering will still be a priority of mine for these reasons. It’s helped drive other positive changes in my life too.

What is your favorite aspect about being a volunteer at Empower Work?

The staff and volunteers are great. Throughout the last few years, it’s been harder to build connections with others, so I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to work with great people. I’ve also had rewarding conversations on the line, where I really connected with the texters. You can tell that they have so much gratitude for the support that they need to get their life back in a great place. It’s so surprising and upsetting to see how silenced people become, and how situations can feel out of their control. It’s rewarding to help people figure out their next steps. 

What would you tell someone who is thinking about volunteering at Empower Work?

I would say it’s such a great experience. It’s challenging to put yourself out there sometimes but the reward is great and the staff is so helpful, so I would definitely recommend it. There are so many different techniques that you learn from the training that help your own day-to-day conversations for your personal and professional life and for your experience volunteering at Empower Work. It’s such a great experience, and it’s so important to give back. There are so many people right now—and over the past couple of years—that have been impacted emotionally and monetarily. 

What skills did you learn in the training? What were the most valuable skills? How have you applied these skills in your personal and professional life?

One of the most helpful techniques that I learned was listening without planning. A lot of times we’ll get caught up in a conversation and we’ll want to find the solution right away, but you really have to stay present and listen first to completely understand the entire story. Another valuable skill I’ve learned is asking open-ended questions. It’s important to continue making it about the texter and not about yourself. It’s rewarding for the texter to come to their own solution instead of having you just provide one. Listening without planning and asking open-ended questions are really great methods that you don’t think of right away during your daily life encounters. 

How has your volunteer experience at Empower Work changed your perspective on the world of work? 

It’s been so eye-opening to realize how many people are navigating difficult situations right now. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own thoughts that we don’t realize how many people are going through a similar situation. It’s been so interesting to see, at least within major tech cities, that so many people are going through a difficult time. It’s so important to me to help guide people so that they’re not impacted financially. What I’ve been surprised about each day is all of the difficult situations happening. Organizations like Empower Work are so important because so many people don’t have the support they need. It’s such a critical organization, as people are going through challenging times.