Become a Go Far Volunteer (GFV)
Go Far Volunteers play a critical role in supporting our students who are just starting on their journey towards a career.
When you register, you will be joining our community of staff, students, and volunteers on Bottom Line Connect (BLC). BLC is a web-based networking platform for Bottom Line’s college students to connect with professionals like yourself for career development support, including resume reviews, mock interviews, etc. These meetings are intended to last 60-minutes, dedicated to setting the foundation for a professional relationship between the student and the volunteer. There are various types of meetings a student can request (see the full list below), and Bottom Line provides resources to support your work with each student.
Ways you can support students through Bottom Line Connect:
Note: you’ll have the opportunity to select which meeting types you feel most comfortable with. However, a best practice is to be open to them all in order to maximize your possible matches with a student.
- Informational Interview
- Resume Review
- Mock Interview
- LinkedIn Review
- Cover Letter Review
- Tips for Building & Leveraging Your Network
- Kicking off the Job Search (college seniors/recent grads)
- Set yourself up for success in your Internship/Job
We like to encourage ongoing relationships between students and volunteers, so students will have the opportunity to request a “Series of 3 Meetings” with a volunteer focused on the areas in which they’d like support.
What We've Heard
“Deanna was so amazing, helpful, and motivating. I left the conversation believing more in myself and with the confidence to go after everything I set my mind to.” - Bottom Line Student
“I have always wanted to participate in more mentorship opportunities but it always seemed like such a hurdle to get started. This was a really easy, rewarding experience and I'd definitely do it again.” - Go Far Volunteer
“Volunteering has been an opportunity for me to find talent, network, and empower youth starting out in their careers.” - Go Far Volunteer
Alicia, one of our Go Far Volunteers, encourages students and volunteers to participate.
Who is this opportunity for?
This volunteer opportunity is for individuals who are:
- Engaging: Building authentic relationships is a key attribute to all our work at Bottom Line. Your willingness to be open and share about your own journey encourages students to do the same.
- Excited: You are friendly, positive, and a good listener which helps students feel comfortable and receptive in these conversations.
- Agile: You step into conversations with an open mind and heart, meeting students where they are and supporting them in getting to the next step in their journey.
- Reflective: You are committed to continuous learning and growth in the areas of racial equity and cultural competency. Note: if you’re new to these concepts, we include a brief introduction in the Volunteer Training and link to additional resources that you can review before meeting with students.
Sign up to be a GFV today
Welcome new Go Far Volunteers! All GFVs are required to complete a 20-minute digital course before meeting students. The course includes our policies, expectations, and best practices for working with students, which will guide you as you begin your journey as a GFV. We hope this course allows you to acquaint yourself with Bottom Line, our students, philosophies, and learn what is expected from our GFVs so that all students and volunteers can thrive together in this community.
Step 1: Complete the GFV Interest Form
Step 2: Complete the 20-minute Go Far Volunteer Digital Course
Step 3: Register on Bottom Line Connect and make sure to review the registration instructions to maximize your matches with students. Please note, completing the digital course is required before registering on the platform.
Questions?
If you’re still unsure if this is the right fit for you or if you’d like to learn about other ways you can get involved with Bottom Line, please contact the person affiliated with your region below:
MA: Kayleigh Bugalla, kbugalla@bottomline.org
NY: Carol Brower, cbrower@bottomline.org
IL: Deana Kaplan, dkaplan@bottomline.org
OH: Cassi Byrd, cbyrd@bottomline.org
National: Shanita Nichols, snichols@bottomline.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Bottom Line Connect is an exclusive platform for the Bottom Line Community focused on mentorship and making connections. It has a similar look and feel to LinkedIn and allows students to find and request meetings with volunteers through the platform’s directory.
You decide! Students send requests to meet with volunteers on an ad-hoc basis. You have 48 hours to accept or decline a request depending on your availability and 2 weeks to meet with the student. Typically, each meeting lasts one hour and requires about 20 minutes of preparation.
After your initial meeting, you and the student are encouraged to meet again, but this is not required.
Becoming a Go Far Volunteer is great for those whose time is more limited but still want to have an impact.
Unfortunately, no. You will be joining a community of Go Far Volunteers on a platform called Bottom Line Connect and students will search for volunteers via the platform’s Directory based on industry, job function, meeting type, etc. so it’s imperative that your profile is complete to maximize your matches!
Bottom Line will provide resources that will outline exactly what to expect in your meeting and how to prepare.
Meetings will take place virtually through Bottom Line Connect. If, after meeting your student virtually, you and the student would like to schedule an in-person follow up meeting, Bottom Line will provide you with some recommendations and best practices for in-person meetings.
In an ideal world, you are meeting with a student interested in pursuing a career or industry similar to your own. However, we ask that you be prepared to meet with students regardless of job function/industry alignment. We work with thousands of students with a wide variety of majors and career interests and we do not have a volunteer pool that aligns perfectly with all of our students’ interests.
While it’s invaluable to have a Software Engineer provide industry-specific feedback on the resume of a student interested in becoming a Software Engineer, there are key elements to crafting a great resume, cover letter, interview response, etc. that are true across all industries.
Please email blconnect@bottomline.org and we will get back to you shortly.