Sometimes it can be hard to get your first break.

Building credibility is one of the biggest challenges we face in the job market. When we’re first starting out, we often lack the experience necessary to get our foot in the door at the big companies we desire to work for.

According to a study by Millennial Branding and Beyond.com, “More than 70% of hiring managers say colleges are only ‘somewhat preparing’ students to enter the working world.” The ability to think critically, innovate, solve complex problems, and work well in a team are what employers say is missing.

One of the best strategies to building credibility early on is volunteering.

Beyond being a personally gratifying and rewarding experience, volunteer work can do wonders for your resume. It’s a testament to your character, helps you build a new skill set, and allows employers to connect to you on a more personal level.

Having a way to track these experiences is crucial, which is why Kelly Lovell, the founder of My Effect, has created a platform designed to help you build your impact resume, so you can showcase leadership and volunteer work.

Lovell and I caught up on this week’s podcast episode, where she shares about the platform, how it’s getting the attention of companies, like the Clinton Global Initiative, and how her past experiences with bullying inspired her to get started.

Lovell was drawn to create this technology because of the profound impact volunteering has had on her own life. She shares, “Volunteering equipped me with the experiences and skills I was missing to attract the supporters I needed. It was through volunteerism [that] I was able to understand my abilities because there is no pressure.” Adding, “You can try different things and if you are not good at it you can try something else. You really have a blank slate and through that blank slate I got to understand who Kelly was.”

My Effect’s technology allows volunteers to automatically track their impact: the hours you’ve spent, the number of people you’ve helped, and the dollars you’ve raised, all on one interface.

Lovell has found that organizations want to be able to see personal characteristics of their employees, beyond just their GPA or traditional resume. Prospective employees also want to know the company they work for is doing social good. My Effect’s goal is to host a community impact and engagement platform to capture that.

In today’s world, taking action for positive social change is no longer optional. Getting behind issues like helping the environment, ending poverty, fighting injustice and inequality is becoming the new standard. In reaction, companies are upgrading their business models, by donating a portion of proceeds to important causes or practicing sustainability, while individuals are being asked to evaluate their choices in where they spend their money and time.

In time where it is becoming increasingly relevant for businesses to consider public welfare in their models, volunteer work is a sought-after component on any resume.

In the spirit of National Volunteer Week, now is a great time to seek out opportunities to get involved. You’ll grow as a person, contribute to an important cause, and begin to build the experience you need to help you stand out and land your dream job.

Kelly says, “I find that volunteerism isn’t just a way to give back and make a difference in community. There is a lot of personal development and skill building that can benefit any entrepreneur from any age and profession.”

How will you get involved and advance your next career move?

This article was originally published on Forbes

Meet Kate Maloney, a master of sharing herself and enrolling others in their visions. Over the last several years, Maloney has started ten different companies and sold seven of them. Maloney’s current project? A summit and a movie called RiseUP that is redefining the conversation about how we view success.

“RiseUP,” the upcoming movie, will include some of the most accomplished and high-impact leaders of our day, who are redefining this new model to uplift and empower people to live radically fulfilled, purpose-driven lives.

As Maloney, a RiseUP cofounder, sees it, “A film is the tip of the arrow into culture. It is not that it’s the end, or the final destination it is just the beginning and RiseUP is a movement that begins with the voices of the film.”

Maloney’s ability to take an idea and inspire the right people to help her see it to fruition has enrolled the Dalai Lama, Tony Robbins, Arianna Huffington, Alanis Morissette, John Mackey, Tony Hsieh, and many others global leaders to join her in actualizing this vision.

Maloney and I caught up on this week’s podcast episode where she shares the secret behind enrolling powerful influencers in your vision.

Maloney says, “what any one of us can do as an individual is nowhere near as powerful as what we can all do together — particularly when we unleash our unique gifts and our unique selves.”

It is one thing to have an idea or a vision and another thing to actualize it into the world.

Each of us as individuals has something unique to offer and contribute to the world. When you begin the inquiry of owning your “piece” of the puzzle, you open yourself up to something larger that seeks to move through you. Timing is everything, and being able to know when an idea is ripe for the world is at the core of gaining momentum quickly. The fastest way to test if the world is ready or hungry for your vision is to start sharing it and see what happens.

Maloney’s vision started just a few years ago when she and Whole Foods cofounder John Mackey and a number of other business and thought leaders got curious about how to inspire a new definition of success in culture. Maloney says we are in a time where “we are seeing this cultural evolution and revolution happening where people are waking up to what is possible for themselves and for humanity, in a way that has not been present before historically”.

It is a message of personal initiative and agency to create the life you desire, no matter the circumstances.

Maloney believes we are currently living in a crucial tipping point for humanity and it is up to us to initiate a new direction toward sustainability and positive social change inside of our lives and our business and companies. Themes like conscious capitalism, buy-one-give-one models like Tom’s shoes, donating a portion of profits to social causes, and conducting business that is mindful to environmental resources is essential in this new paradigm.

That is one of the power we have as millennials. “What millennials are bringing forth into culture is not necessarily what most of society has inherited as an acceptable path or discourse,” according to Maloney which is why “more than ever this is an opportunity for millennials to be supported by the RiseUP movement and be partnered with it.”

The film represents a movement to embrace this opportunity, and—quite literally—RiseUP, together. This movement requires participation on a mass scale to step into a reality that supersedes the limitations of the current one. Through sharing the voices of dozens of individuals who are already beginning to test these new waters, Maloney and her team hope to invite others to do the same.

The invitation: How will you rise up and invite others into your vision?

If you want to win the Success Talks package featuring content never released before from Tony Robbins, Arianna Huffington, Marie Forleo, Michael Beckwith, Jack Canfield, Black Mycoskie, Alanis Morisette and more simply subscribe to the podcast here and then enter to win by following this link. Kate has made this offer exclusively to Unconventional Life readers and listeners.

This article was originally published on Forbes

There is something beautiful about the spirit of the hustle. The take charge, get it done mentality, with the drive to just go-go-go.

Earlier this afternoon, I was talking with my friend in Tel Aviv about Israeli culture. He shared with me how the people relentlessly go after what they want–work, relationships, renting an apartment, etc. Often, resources are limited and the atmosphere is competitive so the only way to get ahead is to fight for it; go after it or someone else will win.

Unlike life in the U.S., the hustle for some young professionals in Israel is not a choice. It is a hustle out of necessity and survival.

My Israeli friend had been living in California for the last few years and was just sent back to Tel Aviv after no longer being able to extend his visa. Now he’s back to the hustle, working his way through the system to obtain another visa and be able to resume his life in the U.S. again.

My friend is not alone in this reality.

Aradhya Malhotra, founder of Skyless Games, faced a similar situation just last year. Arad, a 2016 30 Under 30 honoree and an immigrant from India, moved to the U.S. 8 years ago. Even after going to college here and starting a company that designs video games to promote social causes, he was faced with an expiring visa and would have to leave behind everything he had created.

Arad shares all of the details in this week’s podcast episode.

Instead of giving up, Arad decided to fight the system and took U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) head on. With the support of several friends and community members, Arad was awarded one of only a small amount of special category work visas reserved for “Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement” that exist in the world.

In the face of a threat that would keep him from creating what he was passionate about, he chose not to succumb to fear and instead claimed his power to do something about it.

On the surface, the chances of getting one of the few visas that would allow him to stay were incredibly slim. He knew he had a mission to carry out so he chose to defend it and was able to convince the people who said he had to leave to see the value in his staying.

Arad’s story demonstrates that you don’t ever have to accept a reality that you don’t want. By believing in your own vision, you can pave a new path for success where it didn’t seem possible. And who knows, the people who were doubting you might just become your biggest supporters.

Here are seven reasons why should never settle for less than what you want:

You never know what will happen next. If Arad hadn’t challenged his deportation, he never would have made the 30 Under 30 list and attained the success that resulted from his staying. Stay in the game, the outcome will often surprise you.
You always have a choice. When it seems you are stuck in a difficult situation, you always have the power to choose to stand up for yourself. Don’t underestimate how far raising your voice and utilizing your resources can take you.
It builds character. After winning his visa, Arad became recognized in the immigrant entrepreneurial community and serves as inspiration for others. Sometimes the experiences you encounter are meant to mold you into a greater leader.
The world needs you. Arad’s company is helping change the world one social cause at a time. Had he settled, the world would be missing out on the positive impact he is making. The actions you take create a ripple effect of impact on others.
You set a new standard. By choosing yourself, you help redefine the standard for dealing with obstacles and empower others to do the same.
It’s fun. Even though the hustle can be tiring it’s also exciting. Every day, millions of individuals hustle to make their dreams possible, and aren’t willing to take no for an answer. Stay present and enjoy the process.
You have nothing to lose. Even if you don’t get the outcome you had hoped for, you can’t lose. When you fight for what you want, you gain confidence and experience what it is like to really stand behind what you believe in.

This article was originally published on Forbes