Volunteerism

WHY SHOULD I VOLUNTEER?

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” – Elizabeth Andrew

People choose to volunteer for many reasons. For some it offers the chance to give something back to the community or make a difference to the people around them. For others it provides an opportunity to develop new skills or build on existing experience and knowledge.

Studies show that the more you volunteer, the more benefits you’ll experience, however, volunteering doesn’t have to involve a long-term commitment. Even giving in simple ways can help those in need and improve your overall health and happiness.

Below are some of the reasons people choose to volunteer. For some it provides an opportunity to:

• give something back to an organization that has impacted a person's life, either directly or indirectly
• make a difference to the lives of others
• help the environment
• help others less fortunate or without a voice feel valued and part of a team
• spend quality time away from work or a busy lifestyle to gain confidence and a different perspective

When you volunteer, you are making connections. You are connected with the community. You are connected with the problem as well as the solution. You are connected to a process – a process in which you believe. Through your actions and involvement, you are benefitting others as well as yourself.

Volunteering builds social capitol

Social capital is based on the idea that social networks have value. Social capital refers to the collective value of all "social networks" [who people know] and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other.

Social capital is important because it is an important source of power and influence that helps people to ‘get by’ and ‘get ahead’. Access to social capital depends on who you know—the size, quality, and diversity of your personal and business networks. Social capital also depends on who you don't know, if you are indirectly connected to them via your networks.

Remember: It's not just what you know, or who you know. It's who knows you and what you know.

A unique benefit of volunteering is that you get to meet and work alongside older people who can help guide you and share their wisdom. Volunteering builds social capitol by connecting you to people who you might not normally connect with: people from different age groups, ethnicities or social groups.

You strengthen your community and your social network when you volunteer. You make connections with the people you are helping, and you cultivate friendships with other volunteers. Volunteering is a great way for you to explore career paths, and nonprofit employees (even other volunteers) are usually more than happy to put you in touch with the right people.

Volunteering impresses future schools/employers

Employers love a candidate with a range of soft skills and luckily, volunteering gives you plenty of those. You are faced with problems on a daily basis, and have to deal with a mix of personalities – all while adjusting to life outside of your comfort zone.

This all adds up and helps to improve your teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and people skills. All in all, this is another excellent reason to get out there and volunteer.

For some, volunteering can be a route to employment, or a chance to try something new which may lead to a career change. From this perspective, volunteering can be a way of:

• gaining new skills, knowledge and experience
• developing existing skills and knowledge
• enhancing a resume
• improving one's employment prospects
• gaining an accreditation using one's professional skills and knowledge to benefit others (usually described as pro bono)

Starting young provides an opportunity for you to learn and grow into valuable members of society. You develop life skills as you are immersed in activities that are outside of your comfort zone.

Volunteering as a teenager may seem unrelated to the future jobs you’ll get paid for, but it isn’t. Just as it can help you figure out your major, volunteering can help you navigate future careers. You can use your high school years to explore different career opportunities as a volunteer. It’s better to understand your career options now than to wait until you’ve already earned your degree.

Through community service, you gain real-world experience and practice important habits like leadership, problem-solving, and time-management. Volunteering offers you the opportunity to apply your classroom learning to practical scenarios that have real implications. In other words, service-learning opportunities can offer the same skills-boosting opportunities as student internships, but with the added benefit of improving the lives of others.

In an increasingly competitive job market, volunteering experience can be incredibly useful. It shows potential employers that you can take initiative and that you’re willing to give your own time to improve the world for other people. Volunteering also gives you the opportunity to practice important common skills used in the workplace, such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, planning and organization.

If you haven’t had a full-time job before then volunteering is an essential way to prove your skills when you do go for work interviews. Also, if you’ve just graduated or are looking for your first job, volunteering is an important and relatively easy way to get a foot in the door of a company you’d like to work with.

Even if there's no immediate chance of employment afterwards, volunteering can help you to make connections for the future. Alternatively, if you’ve already had jobs and are considering a change of direction, volunteering is an important and fun way to try out different career options, especially if you’re not quite sure of where you want to go next. Volunteering offers you the chance to try out a new career without making a long-term commitment.

HOW DO I VOLUNTEER?

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” — Mahatma Gandhi

If you're considering volunteering, ask yourself a few questions first:

1. What causes are you passionate about that will help you enjoy and stay committed to the work?
2. Are you looking for regular volunteering opportunities or would you prefer a single project?
3. What skills can you offer and what would you hope to gain from the experience?

“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands — one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” — Audrey Hepburn