Why You Should Consider Volunteering

Volunteering is an excellent way to add experience to your CV. However, I know there are certain sectors in the population who consider volunteering as a waste of time. It is understandable why they (or maybe even yourself) would think that way. But I beg to differ. When it comes to volunteering, you're not limiting yourself to charity shops and shelters. You can volunteer at private firms, clubs, societies and community events. But besides seeing volunteering as an opportunity to put something on your CV, there are other (more important) reasons why you should consider volunteering.

Good Way To Explore A New Career

If you want to explore a new career, then you can try it through volunteering. A lot of careers do require you to have experience in some form. And voluntary work is the best way to gain that invaluable experience. Many sectors including private firms, care homes and schools offer voluntary opportunities. And if you want to see if a role meet your expectations, then you can decide for yourself through volunteering. When approaching private firms though, I would not recommend contacting large companies for voluntary work as there is a lot of red tape and regulations. You're better off contacting smaller companies who are more flexible and approachable. And they would be more appreciative to you from seeing that you're willing to spend some of your free time to help them.

Helps You Build Confidence

Getting the necessary experience through volunteering gives you confidence. And this helps you a lot when it comes to interviews. Interviewers always want to hear examples of you using a particular competency or skill. And thanks to your voluntary experience, you can use this to demonstrate to the interviewer that you have the capabilities and confidence to do the role.

Helps You Build New Skills

Besides the experience that you have gained from your voluntary work, you also learn and gain new skills. Whether it is writing newsletters, providing care to the elderly or helping teachers at school. You're learning a new skill. And the only way to learn new skills is through training, education or employment. But if you're struggling to get new skills through either of these channels, for whatever reason, then you can go down the route of volunteering. Volunteering doesn't require any financial investment. All that is required from you is willingness and free time.

Build New Contacts

To get in to voluntary work, you need to build a relationship with the person who is in charge of  deciding whether to give you the voluntary opportunity. And the best way to initiate contact with this person is to ask them if they need your help. As long as you show enthusiasm and ambition when asking for voluntary work, then you've already established a connection. When you do get a voluntary work placement, you can start building contacts with important members of staff in different departments. As long as you make a good first impression and demonstrate that you're able to do the work to a decent standard, then you may be considered in the future. Even for a permanent position. And it is not just about making contacts in the business worlds. You can also build contacts through organisations that helps to build the community. Which leads me to my next point..

You're Making A Contribution To Your Community

Studies have shown that people who volunteer are more likely to feel happier. And one of the main reasons for this is because volunteering gives that sense of giving back to the community. As humans, we are hard-wired to help each other. Volunteering gives us that opportunity to dedicate our time to help and support our community. You can volunteer in societies and clubs which share your hobbies or passions. And there are also a whole host of organisations which aim to make a positive difference to society. Being actively involved in the community is an excellent way of meeting new people and building connections. As a result, your positive contribution will help you raise your profile and open up new opportunities. Thanks for reading. What do you think of volunteering? Let us know in the comments sections  below. Featured image: Pixabay
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