No matter if it be exploring new career avenues, building relationships, or sharpening existing abilities - volunteering can provide you with many advantages.
Find a volunteer opportunity that suits your goals and interests is key to fulfilling them, not to mention broadening your social network of acquaintances and making lasting friendships.
1. Boost Your Confidence
Are You Struggling with Low Self-Esteem or Need Direction in Life? Volunteering Can Provide Relief Volunteering is an excellent way to build self-confidence while simultaneously expanding social abilities while working with others in an active way.
Working with new groups of people is an invaluable opportunity to discover more about yourself as an integral team player, what motivates and satisfies you, and where your greatest joy lies when it comes to work. This information can help guide your career decisions or simply reveal where your interests lie best.
Volunteering can provide both hard and soft skills that employers value, such as time management, teamwork, communication, public speaking, and interpersonal abilities. According to a LinkedIn survey conducted recently, over four of five hiring managers see volunteer experience as a positive factor when considering candidates for employment opportunities.
2. Learn New Skills
No matter the purpose, volunteering can provide invaluable skills. Many volunteering positions require teamwork with individuals from diverse backgrounds; thus enabling you to develop communication, interpersonal and problem-solving abilities that will only serve to further advance your career in the long run.
Volunteering allows you to experiment with new things safely. For instance, if you want to learn how to work with animals but lack the funds for an extended university program, volunteering at an animal shelter might be your solution.
Volunteering can also teach you to think quickly on your feet and work efficiently under pressure - two essential qualities for many careers. Mastering these abilities will make you a more competitive applicant when applying for jobs; additionally, some volunteer positions teach leadership qualities which many employers value highly.
3. Build Your Network
Volunteering can be an incredible way to meet people with diverse perspectives and experiences while creating networking opportunities that could lead to your dream job. No matter the area of expertise of volunteering, be open and willing to meet new people to foster long-lasting relationships!
As when engaging in something you love, it can be easy to overlook how much impactful efforts have on others around us. Volunteering offers a great way to hone networking skills, develop your professional brand, and increase your contacts list.
Volunteering requires only your time, and is an inexpensive and low-risk way of discovering whether the career you're pursuing truly suits you. Should you decide to continue, the experience gained can become a great reference on your resume and enhance the odds of finding employment with companies or organizations who share your values.
4. Get a Better Job
No matter your career path or aims, volunteering can help hone a variety of sought-after skills that employers seek in candidates. Someone with marketing experience could volunteer their expertise by helping an NGO with social media or lead generation strategies; accountants can use volunteering as an opportunity to expand their accounting software knowledge while contributing to local charities financially.
Resilience building exercises can also be invaluable when looking for that next job. If you've been out of paid work for some time, returning can be daunting and unnerved you; by volunteering instead you can ease back into working without the associated risks, and build your confidence at the same time. Your resume could even list this experience to demonstrate your involvement within your community and industry while showing a dedication to a cause can demonstrate both values as well as commitment towards career advancement.
