So, you’re thinking about starting volunteering? That’s an amazing thing to do.
Volunteering is a great way to help other people who are not as privileged as you might be or help the natural environment get through the threats of pollution and climate change. However, did you also know that volunteering can help you with your career? That’s right, volunteering is not all about helping others – you will be helping yourself, as well.
Your volunteering experience is going to make your resumé look better, companies are going to look at you with new eyes and be seriously impressed with your initiative.
Keep reading down below to learn more about the top ways that volunteering is a big boon for your career.
1. You’ll Get Tons of New Experience
First off, whenever you’re applying for jobs in today’s marketplace, you need to show that you have experience. Companies are looking for those candidates who have a variety of experience to bring into their business. And one of those types of experience comes in the form of volunteering.
Whenever your interviewer sees that you have a ton of experience in volunteering, they are more likely to accept your application than not. This is because companies know that volunteering experience is a direct indicator of your work ethic, your values, and the skills you have.
2. You Can Develop New Skills That You Didn’t Know About Before
Whenever you’re volunteering, you are going to be learning tons of new skills you weren’t even aware of before. And this is seriously going to help out your career. When you learn new skills, these are something that you can show off during your interviews for a new job or show off in the office at your current job.
For example, when you’re volunteering at a community center for disadvantaged kids, you are going to be learning new skills such as patience when working with children. Or you can learn some public speaking skills by conducting workshops for underprivileged communities.
When you get these skills, your current or potential future employers are going to seriously be impressed.
3. You Can Expand Your Network and Meet New People
Of course, one of the best things that you can get from volunteering more is meeting new people. And this is crucial for your career.
Did you know that advancing in your career is way more about knowing people than the work you actually put in? Even though we would like to think that it’s all about work ethic, when you know the right people, you are at a higher advantage than others.
That’s where volunteering comes into play.
You’re going to be able to meet others while volunteering that you wouldn’t have met otherwise. And who knows? They could be the ones who bring your career to the next level.
4. You Will Be Able to Explore New Industries and Organizations You Might Like to Work In
When you volunteer with organizations, you are going to be thrust into new industries that you might not know so much about. For example, when you work with environmental organizations, you will suddenly be learning a lot more about environmental policies, climate change research, and tons of other subjects surrounding environmental protection. Or when you work with children’s organizations, you might learn more about teaching or child protection services.
And when you learn these new things, you are opening yourself up to tons of new possibilities for your career. This is great for those of you that don’t know exactly what you want to do right now for your career. You can use volunteering as a way to determine how you want to spend your time and what you want to do with your life.
5. You Will Gain Confidence Like Never Before
Confidence is one of the most crucial skills that you can have for your career. When you are more confident, you are more likely to get that promotion at work or get that job you’ve been gunning for. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have that confidence to succeed. We might doubt ourselves and our skills.
That all changes when you go out there and volunteer. You start learning that you can really do whatever you set your mind to. You could spend a weekend planting trees to help with the environment and come back feeling more confident in yourself than ever before. When you take this confidence back to your job, then you are going to succeed like never before.
6. You Will Learn More About Yourself Than Ever Before
Another big positive impact on yourself that comes from volunteering is the fact that you’re going to learn about yourself. You will spend so much time with others that you will get into situations where you might be a bit uncomfortable. And when you get uncomfortable, you will start to learn more about how you respond in those situations.
You might learn that you need to have a boost in your confidence skills. Or you might learn that you’re not as comfortable speaking to strangers as you thought.
The best thing about this is that once you know what you’re not so great at, then you can work to improve those skills. Or if you learn that you are really good at something through volunteering, then you can focus on those skills and put them first and foremost on your resume.
7. It Shows That You Care About Others and/or The Environment
When you volunteer, you are showing your potential employers that you really are about others and/or the environment. You are spending your precious time helping out others, rather than focusing on yourself.
When a potential employer sees this, then it tells them that you are going to be one of the best employees that they could get. Those who spend their time volunteering are much more productive and hard-working than those who don’t.
Takeaway
Volunteering isn’t all about helping others. Sure, that should be your motive and the part you should focus on, but volunteering is also going to seriously help out with your career.
Start planning for your first volunteering endeavor and begin your journey today!