Volunteering Can Help Grow Your Career

Here's a piece that discusses the benefits of volunteering in order to get a job. The summary:

With the average unemployment period now lasting eight-and-a-half months, many job seekers are grappling with ways to meaningfully bridge the gap between being out of work and getting hired, especially young adults who may lack experience. For some, the solution is volunteering. There may be no paycheck, but in some cases it’s proving to be a means to a gainfully employed end.

I love, love, love this idea -- and not only to get a job, but to help advance your career in many different ways. My thoughts:

• Yes, volunteering is a good idea when you're between jobs. You can build valuable skills and avoid the resume-gap problem that so many who are unemployed have to deal with. Certainly you won't want to volunteer so much that it interferes with your job search, but you should be able to do both.
• Volunteering is a great way to get a new/better job even if you are currently employed. This worked for me BIG TIME -- at a time when I really needed a career move. It could hold the same potential for you.
• By volunteering you develop a broader network. And having a great network is key to growing your career.
• Personally, I do this by serving on the board of a non-profit organization. I've been president of the board for the past four years of my six years with the board. I not only get to use my skills and abilities to help people in need, but I also develop new skills (which help me in my job) and meet a lot of great people (and many of them are very well-connected.) It's a "win" all the way around.

How about you? Do you volunteer in any capacity (or are you thinking of doing so)?

Comments

[g]

Just as an FYI, if you're filing for Unemployment, check your local regulations. In some states, volunteering more than a certain number of hours a week counts as part time employment, even without a paycheck, and will disqualify you for full benefits.

[Miss T @ Prairie EcoThrifter]

I totally agree. I have volunteered a lot in my life so far and 9/10 times it has lead to job offers. Plus I have build some great skills that I can take to a new place of employment. Volunteering is a great way to build yourself as well as future opportunities.

[Walden]

I couldn't agree more. I am a recruiter in a somewhat specialized area, and volunteer experience is something we seriuosly consider when reviewing candidates that either are fresh out of school, or have been out of work (for whatever reason) for a few years. Prospective employers want to see that your skills are still fresh, and that you've been committed enough to your occupation to practice even when you're not being paid.

[Natalie Loopbaanadvies]

I definitely agree with this. Volunteering is good compared to doing nothing. Some companies usually do not hire people who lack experience and volunteering can definitely help someone gain experience. It can help a person learn a lot of things and probably widen or expand his/her knowledge. As what Walden has said, employers would want that the people they hire have been practicing what they've learned. And that even though they are not being paid, they are still willing to work just so they could gain experience and be more beneficial to the company they are applying for.