I still remember the fabric walls of my accounting cubicle, where I spent my days reconciling numbers that never quite added up to fulfillment at age 24. The work wasn’t terrible; it just wasn’t me. I could have stayed stuck in that safe, predictable routine, quietly waiting for something better to appear. Instead, I did something that felt small at the time but turned out to be career-defining: I raised my hand to lead our company’s United Way campaign.

Suddenly, I was out of my cubicle and into the world. I was meeting business leaders across Waukesha County, coordinating with nonprofits throughout our city, and representing our company in rooms I never would have accessed otherwise. People saw something in me that had been invisible behind spreadsheets, my ability to connect, to lead, to create impact. Within a year, the Mayor of Oconomowoc reached out about larger civic engagement opportunities. Mayor Marlene Schumacher hadn’t known me as “the accountant in cubicle 247.” She knew me as the person who showed up, took initiative, and made things happen.

That volunteer leadership role became my bridge to an entirely new career in nonprofit marketing management. Here’s what I learned: visibility doesn’t come from waiting to be discovered, it comes from strategically positioning yourself where your true strengths can shine. For rising professionals, the question isn’t just “How do I get noticed?” It’s “Where can I hand-raise right now that will showcase who I am at my best?” The answer might be leading an employee resource group, spearheading a cross-functional project, or yes, running your company’s community initiative. Your next career move might not come from within your current role. It might come from the leadership you demonstrate beyond it.