Can Volunteering Support your Career?
For some time now we’ve been reading about the incredibly competitive job market that graduates are now entering, with many writers and advisers waxing lyrical about the requirement of students to increase their employability. Sadly for many students engaging in part-time work to gain new skills is not always possible, with many students reporting that trying to juggle the hours that employers need students to work with their studies is often very difficult. Plus in many cases the part-time roles on offer do not expose the student to the right environment to reflect their career objective or gain the necessary skills required to enter their chosen field. Volunteering could provide a solution as it allows students to work the hours that suit them and with a large number of positions available students should be able to find a position that provides opportunities to gain the important skills they need to develop. The benefits of volunteering are enormous, and engaging in the right volunteering experience can open up a world of new friends and expose students to new communities. In addition and for some more importantly, volunteering can help you develop new skills and even advance your career. Increasing your employability is about being able to demonstrate to employers that you have the skills they are looking for by highlighting the opportunities you’ve had to put those skills into practice. Volunteering can help you get the experience in your area of interest and meet people in that field, it also enables you to practice important skills used in the workplace such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management and organisation. You might feel more comfortable talking to employers about your skills once you have honed these skills though your volunteer position.
How do you find the right opportunity? There are many volunteering opportunities available and the key is to find a position that you both enjoy and be capable of doing. You also need to consider carefully what time you have available and what level of expected commitment is required by the organisation that interests you. You could start by answering the following questions to help narrow down your search:
Do you want to work in groups or alone? Are you comfortable in a public facing role or would you prefer to be behind the scenes?
SUPPORTING GRADUATES INTO THE WORKPLACE www.journeytowork.net
How much time are you willing to commit? How much responsibility are you prepared to take on? What skills can you bring to a volunteering position? What new skills are you looking to develop? Where are the best potential networking opportunities to support your career objective?
It’s important to select your chosen organisation carefully and don’t limit yourself to just one organisation. Visit a number of organisations and get a feel for who they are and how they operate, do you get on with the people there and do you get a good feel for their organisation? The more satisfied you are with the organisation and the position on offer the better you will contribute and the more you will learn.
Where can you discover volunteering opportunities? Opportunities exist everywhere, in towns big and small in very part of the UK, and a great way to start finding them is by contacting local community groups and associations. You could look at:
Libraries and other local community facilities that cater to the elderly and disadvantaged community members Service organisations such as local Lions and Rotary clubs Youth organisations, after school clubs and local sports teams Places of worship such as churches, temples and synagogues Local museums, countryside/park facilities, schools and nurseries
In addition to local community groups and associations you could also consider approaching larger national charities, many of whom are constantly on the lookout for new volunteers. Some good places to start your search include The Guardian and Prospects websites. You’re donating your valuable time so it’s important that you enjoy the experience and also learn from it. Ask questions, make a difference and enjoy it!
Wayne Boardman, Founder & Managing Director at Journey To Work At Journey To Work we are passionate about supporting graduates into the workplace; we do this by offering a selection of employability skills training workshops and individual career coaching and support. Our most popular training workshop is our Assessment Centre Simulation Event, a full day event that gives students a unique opportunity to engage in a mock assessment centre. Attending allows students to practice the exercises used by graduate recruiters, increase their confidence and improve their performance. If you have any careers needs please get in touch.
SUPPORTING GRADUATES INTO THE WORKPLACE www.journeytowork.net