Most companies organise regular events. Larger events are often organised by professional internal teams or committees, but there are various smaller events in the calendar that need an organiser.

You may be extremely busy already, so why would you want to step forward and add one of these events to your workload? The answer is that it could be very good for your career.

The sort of events that fit this profile are social and team building events. Often these do not require a large investment of time. You will need to liaise with the venue and also suppliers. Many suppliers offer a complete service, so they will provide the events and liaise with the venue for you. Venues pay a commission of around 10% to event organisers, so it will not cost your company any more. It is well worth finding an event organiser who you like and trust and having them as partners throughout your career.

The biggest pain in organising an event is managing attendees and there are many online diary apps that will make this easy. It is far less time consuming to approach diaries this way than trying to co-ordinate it all yourself, and the automation takes much of the psychological burden of making everyone happy off your shoulders.

Make it clear from the start that you will not accept any nonsense, and do this in a playful but very serious way. Nonsense in this case means such behaviour as people trying to change dates because it suits them regardless of the group and any last minute menu changes. You will earn the respect of your colleagues and gain the reputation as a good, if fierce, organiser. That is a reputation worth having in the corporate world.

Events such as these will often involve a senior member of staff. If it does not you may be appreciated for suggesting to your boss that one is invited. If the event involves enjoyable activities or a meal this can work really well, building bridges across teams and through the corporate structure. This also gives you the opportunity to liaise with any senior guests, which puts you on their radar in a positive way. This can be extremely good for your career.

In summary volunteering to organise an event may not add as much to your workload as you may think, and it can bring a raft of benefits to your reputation and your career.