Volunteering can not only help the community you live in, it can also help you to enhance your career opportunities.
Here are a few ways that volunteering can boost your career prospects:
Explore a Career Area
Volunteering allows you to test out different sectors, roles, organisations, causes etc. without having to make too much of a commitment. It’s a worthwhile exercise to volunteer with an organisation in the area you are interested in before committing to further study or training. By doing this, it allows you to see if it is actually something that you would enjoying as a career.
Expand your Network
Through volunteering in your chosen career area you will meet people already working in this sector who could be able to answer questions you may have about the area of work. It is also an opportunity to showcase your skills and make an organisation see how beneficial you could be to them as an employee.
Build your Curriculum Vitae
If you are between jobs why not fill your time by volunteering? This can be a great way to show a potential employer that you care about your community by giving back and that you’re driven in that you seek out opportunities. During the interview stage you can also discuss you’re volunteering and draw on it for examples of how you used your skills.
Gain transferable skills
Though volunteering you can develop new skills or expand existing ones. The good news is that skills like communications, leadership, planning, time management etc. are transferable to any organisation or business.
Show employers your passion for a specific cause
Non-profits value dedication to their cause. By turning your values into action, you will demonstrate to your potential employer that you are committed to and educated about their issue of concern.
It’s a good idea to reflect on and record your volunteering activities in order to be able to draw upon what you’ve learned at a later date and provide examples in interviews.
