3 Lessons I Learned from Volunteering at the CMX 2022 Summit
The CMX Summit took place on the 15th and 16th of September, 2022. It was my first time attending an event for community professionals by community professionals. The feeling was surreal and I’ll give anything to experience this again.
I was more than just an attendee at the summit. I also volunteered to be a chat moderator over the 2 days the summit took place.
As a chat moderator of over a thousand attendees, I performed the following duties;
- encouraging participation in the chat box during the sessions
- answering questions asked by members and forwarding questions meant for speakers to the MC Ilker Akansel in real-time
- ensuring members were adhering to the code of conduct.
As a volunteer and an attendee, I learnt the following lessons
1) Virtual networking is an important skill to have as a community manager.
As a first-time attendee of an event this big, I absolutely had no idea I was to attend with networking at the back of my mind. I came with the intention of only learning from the speakers.
However, I was quick to notice how community members were openly talking about what they do and dropping the links to their LinkedIn profiles to ensure they kept in touch even after the summit. I practised what I saw and was able to make new connections.
I will strive to maintain communication with my new connections as they all formed part of the great memories I have of the summit.
2) Don’t be afraid to take risks.
As someone who has so much experience organizing in-person events, I did doubt if I would be able to bring my big energy to the virtual event especially since I haven’t been a virtual volunteer.
I learnt that there isn’t much difference in moderating a virtual session in comparison to an in-person event.
Prior to the event, the CMX team showed us the ropes of moderating an online session. Coupled with me working with excellent MCs who made the process appear not too difficult.
All that was left was for me to bring in my awesome energy and ensure everyone had a great experience.
3) Aim to practice all you’ve learned when you attend an event
A lot of viable knowledge was imparted to all who attended the summit. I took note of points pertinent to my career growth and I have started implementing the knowledge I have gained to ensure I become a better community manager.
For someone who started the year feeling like I didn’t belong to the community management world, attending and actively participating in the summit is just the tip of the iceberg of all the amazing things I’ll get to experience as a community manager.
For context of where I’m coming from….
The year 2022 started with me making so many plans for my career as a community manager. Things however took a different turn when in February, I was laid off from work.
I discovered an integral truth while I conducted a career analysis. I had been alone throughout the start of my career as a community manager. I didn’t have a support system that I could learn from and also connect with whenever I suffered from burnout. I concluded that community management wasn’t for me any longer and was going to pivot.
I spoke with a friend and she advised that I join a community for community managers. She also sent me a link to apply for a CMX scholarship to take The Community MBA.
Deciding to join the CMX community and also actively participate in all the community activities has confirmed to me that I was born to be a Community Manager.
The next step…
I will be more involved in community management activities within my local community. This way I can have a tribe to lean on when I am down and can help budding community managers not feel alone as I was at the start of my career.
I’m grateful to some of the members of the CMX community who have played and are still playing an integral part in me succeeding in my career choice.
Cheers to building the future I will be proud of!
