The fact that volunteer work is unpaid does not make it any less valuable. Volunteering can teach you skills that are just as useful as paid jobs, and including them on your resume will help you demonstrate your excellent experience and skills. The following are some of the professional advantages of volunteering.
Getting Professional Experience. Volunteering allows you to gain valuable work experience in your field. When it’s difficult to get your first job in your desired field after graduating or applying for entry-level positions, you may find yourself in a chicken-and-egg situation. Volunteer work, on the other hand, is more readily available. By gaining valuable first-hand experience, you will become far more employable.
Refine your professional objectives. Consider volunteering as a way to test and improve your current skills, as well as to learn new ones. Perhaps you’re just starting out in marketing and a local hospital board is looking for a strategic plan to introduce their signature event to a new demographic. Gaining similar leadership experience at your 9-5 may take years, but thanks to volunteering, you could be ready for more stretch opportunities much sooner. Perhaps a career in sales has always piqued your interest, and your child’s school requires a fundraiser. Taking the lead is a great, low-pressure way to see if securing corporate donors is something you’d be successful at or want to turn into a full-time job.
Possibilities for Training. Despite the availability of more affordable part-time courses, the overall cost of education is increasing. With this in mind, receiving free training can be just as valuable, if not more valuable, than receiving a wage. Many organizations that rely on volunteers provide extensive training, which can be invaluable in the long run.
Learn more about yourself. You can also learn about your own personality traits. Are you more energized by the hours you spent designing an invitation or the interactions you had while preparing meals for others? Do you prefer working with a large board or a small group? More knowledge means you’ll be able to form a more accurate picture of how you want your future career path to look.
Additionally, expand your network. Building connections and fostering relationships is often critical to career success, whether you’re looking for a job, a mentor, or investors or partners for your business venture. Volunteering can put you in touch with professionals you might not have met otherwise. These people may be more likely to accept a coffee invitation or pass along a resume after witnessing your dedication and skills in action.
finally, boost your self-esteem. Giving others a service and making them feel good about themselves can give you a sense of accomplishment and pride. These emotions naturally spill over into personal and professional endeavors. Perhaps you were in charge of your community’s clothing drive, overseeing every detail from communication to collection to distribution. Your success in that area may inspire you to put your hand up for more project management opportunities or to speak up with an organizational idea you may not have felt comfortable sharing previously.
