Income…$0. Value…Priceless.
It’s always a good thing to give back. Whether it is doing hands on service with a group like Habitat for Humanity, or assisting in the back office of a local non-profit, there are benefits beyond money that come from volunteering. Apart from just the positive feeling of sowing good actions into a cause you believe in and the impact on the lives of the recipients, volunteering can also help your career. Here are six ways volunteering can help your career:
1. It can fuel your passion. If your current job is not your ideal work, volunteering at something you enjoy is an alternative source of the passion you can’t get from your job right now.
2. You can practice new skills. No opportunity in your current job to stretch or learn something new? Find a volunteer opportunity that allows you to explore new roles and skills you’d like to develop. You can add this experience to your resume.
3. Volunteer your way into a potential job. Maybe you don’t have the experience to earn the paid position yet. Signing on as a volunteer gives you a chance to learn the organization, build relationships there, and show you have what it takes to do the job.
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4. Volunteering is an opportunity to expand your network. Not only will you meet people who support the same cause, you will find people that have personal and professional connections that can help you – especially if you are looking for a job.
5. Exposure to new ways of doing things. Seeing how another organization runs things, and being exposed to different ways of managing, brainstorming, solving problems, can provide a fresh way to look at the challenges you face in your paid position.
6. You can use it as a team building experience. This one goes beyond just you. Do you lead or work with a team? Finding a group volunteering opportunity can be a low-cost way to do good and re-establish positive connections with your team.
Looking for volunteer opportunities? Here’s a few links to jump-start your search:
- Idealist.org
- 1-800 Volunteer .org
- Network for Good
- Volunteer Match
- Volunteer.gov: Powered by Network for Good has additional volunteering info on main site
- Global Volunteer Network: Volunteer abroad
- BoardNet: Serve on a non-profit board
[This article was originally posted on an earlier date]
Tai Goodwin is a career and business coach who specifically works with professionals who are launching a business while working full-time.
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7 Comments
A few years ago, I decided to take some time off and restructure my career path. When I decided to begin my search, I was looking to switch careers and we were in the middle of the recession. Needless to say, it took a lot longer than I had anticipated. I began volunteering because I needed an outlet. One of the other volunteers introduced me to a friend of hers with the suggestion I do an informational interview. He was in the field I was looking to transition into- long story short, 6 months later I began working for him as his assistant!! It’s a great organization I’ve now been involved with for more than a year and through it I landed a great position!
Can you write more about “6 Ways Volunteering Can Boost Your Career”..?
I am making a list of the “6 Ways Volunteering Can Boost Your Career”..
John..
It’s always a good thing to give back. Whether it is doing hands on service with a group like Habitat for Humanity, or assisting in the back office of a local non-profit, there are benefits beyond money that come from volunteering. Apart from just the positive feeling of sowing good actions into a cause you believe in and the impact on the lives of the recipients, volunteering can also help your career.
fire pit
I really identify with all of these tips! As a kid, I was always volunteering at a different local organization. It was a shock to me later, in college, to realize how few people did this! Volunteering is not just a rewarding way to spend your time, but can also help you figure out what you really love to do. And if you can impress your supervisor, there's an easy recommendation for future employers.
I really identify with all of these tips! As a kid, I was always volunteering at a different local organization. It was a shock to me later, in college, to realize how few people did this! Volunteering is not just a rewarding way to spend your time, but can also help you figure out what you really love to do. And if you can impress your supervisor, there's an easy recommendation for future employers.
This one of the key things I suggest to people I counsel that are out of work. Great post, spot on points. It's always better to have a purpose each day, get in the shower, serve, interact and give back. Not to mention it is a very underused tactic for making “entry points”. Especially now, the Non-Profit world needs human capital to help them stay afloat and endure. Find somethig you are passionate about, call your local Community Foundation or United Way, find the fit and commit!
Great article. Volunteer work is self-rewarding, especially when you job isn't. Not only may it give you more experience to get the job you want, but it may open your eyes to a career you never considered before. Also, I think it is important for businesses to participate in community service more than for social responsibility purposes. Like this article points out, it is an opportunity for employees to practice working as a team. This practice might be less stressful than practicing working as a team on an office project because in the case of volunteering, no one job is on the line.