How volunteering can help you achieve your career goals
The mark of any driven professional is a desire to grow and develop in everything they do. When things get stale or obstacles are in their way, the determined find a way to turn it into opportunity. Volunteering might not have been the first thing that springs to mind, but it’s a superb way of developing new skills, showing initiative and boosting your career.
Say, for instance, you don’t have the required experience for a particular job, or you’re looking to stand out from other candidates. The requisite volunteering experience could be what gives you the edge to make the next step in your career. Here, we’ll dive into how volunteering can help to realise the career goals you’ve been driving towards
Quick links
- What is volunteering and why is it important?
- Benefits of volunteering for your career
- How to prepare and succeed in volunteering
What is volunteering and why is it important?
Volunteering, in a workplace context, is working for an organisation without being paid. This could be for any organisation, but usually, volunteering is carried out for charities and non-profit organisations.
For charities and non-profits, unpaid work allows for more of the proceeds to go to charitable endeavours rather than paying staff.
In return, volunteers get out into the community, gaining valuable experience and interaction with more flexibility than the average job, and the knowledge that they’re benefiting those who are less fortunate.
Benefits of volunteering for your career
We’ve already touched on a few of the benefits of volunteering, but there are plenty of motivating factors for those who volunteer. Let’s take a deeper look at sparks people to volunteer their time to an organisation.
Volunteering expands your network
Meeting new people through volunteering is a great way of optimising your network. It gives you an opportunity to meet like-minded people that you can connect with on both a personal and professional level. You may find yourself surrounded by all manner of staff, board members, clients and suppliers, and forging connections with people who might be able to offer references or even jobs later down the line.
Develop and gain new skills
Volunteering is an excellent way of fine-tuning what’s already at your disposal and learning new skills to add to your arsenal. The soft skills you accrue during your time as a volunteer, such as effective communication, empathy and the ability to work in a team, are invaluable additions you can leverage as part of your next career move. Pursuing volunteer work in the field you want to pursue might be preferred, but it can also be beneficial to be in an entirely different field.
An opportunity to step out of your comfort zone
Career advancement goes hand in hand with the unfamiliar, whether it’s moving into a totally new role or getting to grips with tasks you haven’t been faced with before. Volunteering is a great way to step out of your comfort zone, and in doing so, you can figure out the kind of work you like and the kind of work you’d prefer to avoid.
Gain industry insights
Volunteering experience undoubtedly looks great on a CV, as it’s a sure-fire way of bolstering your resume and shows a willingness to learn that other candidates might be missing from their applications. Competitive organisations are always looking for candidates who can offer something different from the usual candidate. Even if you aren’t getting paid, being able to tell a potential employer you’ve been spending your time actively involving yourself in community projects is going to make them take notice, while also avoiding employment gaps on your CV.
Showcases commitment
Employers value employees who are dedicated to their work. Any hint that a job is just a stopgap may signal to them that you could well be moving on soon. Volunteering is an indication of your own motivation and enthusiasm, and how you can turn something of interest into a passion. Like a paid job, volunteering isn’t just something to be done for the sake of it, and it will show potential employers that you’re committed and in for the long haul.
Enhanced personal growth
Volunteering is not only an excellent way of improving your professional credentials; it’s great for personal development and will give your confidence a real boost. If you’ve been shaken by a period of unemployment, volunteering is a superb way to maintain your confidence and stay positive in the interim. You’ll also hone and develop skills during this time, which can help you to update your CV and secure your next paid role.
How to prepare and succeed in volunteering
Volunteering is similar to securing any other job, but there are certainly differences that you should consider before applying to get the most out of it.
- What are your goals?
- Determining your goals early can help you decide which industry to go into.
- Create a volunteering CV
- A dedicated volunteering CV will set you apart from candidates who use a generic CV.
- Start applying
- Apply to the volunteering opportunities that appeal to you, tailoring your CV for each application.
- Enjoy it
- While you’re on placement, make sure to have fun and embrace the opportunity for growth.
To discover more about a career with SEFE, please visit our recruitment homepage.
The views, opinions and positions expressed within this article are those of our third-party content providers alone and do not represent those of SEFE. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. SEFE accepts no liability for any errors, omissions or representations.
