If you're fortunate enough to have a year ahead of you in which you can do anything you want, then how about volunteering? Not only does it give you a great sense of achievement, but it also makes your CV very interesting reading. So whether you want to travel halfway around the world to help an overseas aid agency, or stay somewhat closer to home, there are volunteering opportunities to suit you. Here are a few of the advantages of volunteering your time and expertise.
One of the most popular benefits of volunteering is the added strength to an individual's CV. Potential employers often see a volunteering project as a character enhancing experience, as well as a solid opportunity to work as an individual or in a group. These traits frequently allow an employee to fit suitably within a work team, and can be advantageous over other candidates applying for a similar job.
Most interviews tend to follow a set pattern which, if you're an interviewer, can be days and days of the same old conversation. However, if you've done any volunteer work talking about it could well be a very welcome distraction. It also gives you the chance to take a certain amount of control over the interview process - at least for a short while - and if you have one or two good stories that you can use to show just how well you would fit into the company, you can use them as excellent weapons in your jobseeking armoury.
When it's time to go home and you look back at what you've done over the past few months of volunteer work, you're entitled to feel proud of yourself for the difference you've made. It's an incredibly satisfying experience (and yes, getting paid would have been nice, too) but that feelgood factor you get from looking at the difference you've made is something money just can't buy.
Volunteering is also very much a learning experience - and what you'll learn, naturally, will depend on the type of volunteering work you undertake. Most of the skills you bring back home with you will stand you in good stead with employers of all kinds. But there's more to volunteering than just the skills you develop to help people, you're also developing skills to help you manage yourself, to be able to cope with sudden culture shocks and situations you'd never experience back at home.
Volunteering takes place all over the world. The costs associated with travel can accumulate, but fortunately these can be covered through means of fundraising, which in itself can be a fun and rewarding process, whilst also making it accessible for all. Travelling to another continent, or even to another part of the country, draws your perspective away from your local society and offers an opportunity to be placed within a new environment whilst experiencing something entirely new.
One of the most popular benefits of volunteering is the added strength to an individual's CV. Potential employers often see a volunteering project as a character enhancing experience, as well as a solid opportunity to work as an individual or in a group. These traits frequently allow an employee to fit suitably within a work team, and can be advantageous over other candidates applying for a similar job.
Most interviews tend to follow a set pattern which, if you're an interviewer, can be days and days of the same old conversation. However, if you've done any volunteer work talking about it could well be a very welcome distraction. It also gives you the chance to take a certain amount of control over the interview process - at least for a short while - and if you have one or two good stories that you can use to show just how well you would fit into the company, you can use them as excellent weapons in your jobseeking armoury.
When it's time to go home and you look back at what you've done over the past few months of volunteer work, you're entitled to feel proud of yourself for the difference you've made. It's an incredibly satisfying experience (and yes, getting paid would have been nice, too) but that feelgood factor you get from looking at the difference you've made is something money just can't buy.
Volunteering is also very much a learning experience - and what you'll learn, naturally, will depend on the type of volunteering work you undertake. Most of the skills you bring back home with you will stand you in good stead with employers of all kinds. But there's more to volunteering than just the skills you develop to help people, you're also developing skills to help you manage yourself, to be able to cope with sudden culture shocks and situations you'd never experience back at home.
Volunteering takes place all over the world. The costs associated with travel can accumulate, but fortunately these can be covered through means of fundraising, which in itself can be a fun and rewarding process, whilst also making it accessible for all. Travelling to another continent, or even to another part of the country, draws your perspective away from your local society and offers an opportunity to be placed within a new environment whilst experiencing something entirely new.
About the Author:
Thinking about organising a gap year, or looking for various apprenticeship positions, jobs & offers: visit notgoingtouni.co.uk. Find details of how to volunteer abroad. Also find information on distance learning.
