Are you looking to start a career or change jobs?
Volunteering is a great way to explore career options. You can try out a new field without making a long-term commitment. By volunteering, you can decide if this new field is for you before taking the plunge!
For new graduates, volunteering can give you a distinct advantage. Your volunteer work will demonstrate that you have practical skills, can function in a work environment, work as a team and that you care about your community. Volunteering also give you the opportunity to test yourself in new situations and to learn what truly interests you.
If you have been out of the work force for a period of time, volunteering is a route back into the workplace. It gives you the opportunity to develop self-confidence and keep your skills alive.
For the active retiree, volunteering is a second (or third or fourth) career, the chance finally to do what you always wanted to do!
If volunteering for your career, please remember to select roles that:
- place you in the type of setting you want to learn about;
- ask for additional training
- ask to undertake tasks which present greater challenges so that you can truly use the volunteer experience to document your accomplishments to a prospective employer.
You will learn the most by involving yourself in causes and organisation you want to help succeed. So while you gain career exploration, the agency gains a great volunteer: a win-win situation!
