A great way to get your CDUs and contribute to Chapter success!
Not only is it a way to build up CDUs quickly, volunteering with the Chapter is a fun experience. Check out the options you have and the benefits you can reap!
Need a Recert? Volunteer!
As a CBAP recipient for a number of years now, I've found one of the easiest, and most fulfilling, ways to accumulate CDUs for my recertification requirements is to participate in the Chapter as a volunteer! I've served as a board member for a number of years, have given talks and presentations to the Chapter, and have had a great time doing it! I'd recommend it to anyone, because the CDUs are lucrative for volunteer service. For example:
From the CBAP Recertification Handbook, Page 9:
Let's say you're a board member, a committee member, and you've published a blog or two with the IIBA and/or the Chapter. Over the course of one year, you spent 3 hours a month on these activities. That's 36 CDUs right there, and you only need up to 30 in this category.
Meanwhile, you're meeting people, learning, and contributing to the success of a Chapter. Honing your leadership skills, and making a difference in others' careers as well as your own. Seems like a good plan to me!
Volunteering to help with Chapter activities is a great way to earn CDUs toward your certifications. For example, you earn 1 CDU for every one hour of volunteer service (maximum 30 CDUs) for your CBAP(r) recertification (from the Recertification Handbook: CERTIFIED BUSINESS ANALYSIS PROFESSIONAL, p. 9.)
In addition to that great benefit, we'd love to leverage your expertise and talent to make our Chapter better! We have 96 active members in the general vicinity of Northwest Arkansas, and we believe everyone has something amazing to contribute.
So, how can you volunteer? One way is to become a Chapter Board member. The Board is a group of volunteers who direct and shape Chapter operations. This year, we have two open Board positions up for election: Vice President and Secretary. See below for more information on these roles, and if you'd like to throw your hat in the ring, please contact Laura at president@northwestarkansas.iiba.org.
You can also contribute in many other ways! And we'd love to hear your ideas as well. Here are some things we'd love to get help with:
This newsletter! We'd like to send a newsletter monthly. But we need content for that. Do you have an idea for a business analysis-related article you'd like to share with the Chapter? Maybe ideas for a monthly feature type that would benefit everyone?
Events! We are a widely-distributed group, so we do meet mostly virtually. Do you know a speaker you'd like to recruit to speak to the Chapter? Or maybe a fun learning activity we could do online that you'd like to facilitate? Maybe you'd like to coordinate a regional development day?
Marketing! We want to spread the word to businesses and individuals throughout our wide area about the benefits of the IIBA. Do you have connections with your organization's leadership, or business groups in your area? We need you!
What else can you think of? This Chapter is yours, and we want to make sure we have lots of opportunities for everyone to participate.
Want to get started? Just contact anyone on the chapter leadership team.