by Danielle Wright, OSRUI and NFTY-CAR Alum.  This originally appeared on the NFTY blog.

In Judaism, and in life, a lot of things come full circle. Two weeks ago, my life once more came full circle when NFTY Convention was held at the Gaylord Texan hotel. I am currently part of the Voyager program, Marriott’s management training program, and I’m a NFTY-CAR alumna. At NFTY Convention, I got to see my love of planning events combine with a defining affiliation: NFTY. As a Voyager, some key skills necessary include leadership, communication, partnership, adaptability, and problem solving. I believe that NFTY taught helped prepare me for the working world.

As NFTYites know, our community is built on the foundation of leadership. Regional boards create programs that get participants talking about topics, leading teens to higher-level thinking. Then, like a community, NFTYites facilitate and lead conversations. Not only do they act as leaders, but they also learn to take direction. NFTYites follow instructions and procedures, the same way working professionals follow guidelines from managers.

NFTY also taught me to be a communicator. Reform Judaism teaches to ask questions about parshiyot (Torah teachings) and to ask about each other’s opinions. This translated to the work place, too: I’ve seen that the most successful employees ask for details about projects and for feedback.

As the skills go on, so do the examples of how NFTY helped prepared me to be a great employee. The skills I learned in NFTY stuck with me long after my 4 years. They seeped into my entry level positions and allowed me to absorb valuable information to bring to each subsequent job. Like moments spent at Kallot (weekend-long NFTY events) I valued the work experiences I earned. I took what I learned in NFTY about looking at both sides of a problem and began applying it to my jobs.

One of my most memorable NFTY experiences was at a Winter Kallah at OSRUI.

Continuing reading on the NFTY blog.