Volunteers are SCORE's lifeblood: their leadership, management, professional, technical, and administrative skills are necessary to maintain SCORE focus and growth. In return, volunteers gain personal satisfaction from sharing their experience and knowledge with those who are seeking to enter the business community or to improve their existing businesses.
SCORE members often state: "I want to give something back to the community." Participation at the chapter level gives them a chance to do this in addition to the social and learning opportunities for making new friends and keeping up with changes in the business world.
SCORE activities involve community service and public trust. Thus, volunteers are expected to conduct themselves with professionalism, honesty, and integrity. When applying for membership, applicants are given a current copy of the SCORE Code of Ethics and Contact to which they must agree to adhere. This commitment is renewed on an annual basis.
Both retired and working professionals are welcome in SCORE. Each applicant will be interviewed to ensure that their business skills can be transferred into a counseling and mentoring situation. The interview process allows both the local chapter and the candidate to see if this volunteer opportunity is a good fit for both SCORE and the individual.
All new SCORE volunteers participate in an orientation and training program, so they understand SCORE's mission, services and chapter activities. Orientation also provides guidance on how to be a business counselor and apply new listening, interviewing and problem-solving skills—specifically to business counseling and mentoring.
If the idea of becoming a business coach appeals to you, contact our chapter's Office Manager to schedule an appointment with one of our chapter's officers. If you're really serious you can download and complete an Application for Membership and bring it with you.