Volunteering, what's the point?

Organisations will often be very keen to have volunteers having an input, and not usually because its free labour.  They get valuable input from motivated, enthusiastic people who are committed to the organisation’s aims and objectives. But its not just a one way relationship. Volunteers can really get lots out of spending time volunteering, as will be highlighted later.

Have you ever thought about volunteering?  There are so many good reasons to give it a go, usually falling into one of three categories, giving something back to ‘society’, to improve your employability skills and future career prospects or for the social benefits, e.g. to make new friends.  The chances are that if you are studying a full time course, the main reasons you may want to volunteer will fall into the category of improving your career prospects.  Why? Because as the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) identify, volunteering can be a very good way to

Gain new skills, knowledge and experience

 

Develop existing skills and knowledge

Enhance a CV

Improve one's employment prospects

Gain an accreditation for a course

If you are thinking about volunteering, there are several issues to consider. Do you want the experience to help you get a career in the degree you are doing, or to move you in a new direction? Do you need to develop any particular skills or experience to strengthen your paid work applications? For instance, students on a conservation degree will often get relevant experience with organisations like Essex Wildlife Trust or English Heritage to develop conservation or surveying skills. But there will often be students who do not want to use their degree subject.  These students sometimes worry, unnecessarily, that their degree will somehow limit their career options or what they can apply for. The often quoted figure of 80% of employer vacancies not specifying a degree subject should reassure.  But the question then arises of how to ‘move’ from studying a degree to working in a graduate role. Experience of the working world, either through paid internships or volunteering is an important element in this process.



Image sourced from Wikimedia Author Druysts.t

So, in conclusion, the benefits of volunteering are numerous. Not only will you possibly make new friends, but you will gain invaluable experience and skills which you will be able to showcase to potential employers – indeed the organisation you volunteer with may well end up being a future employer.  Why the snakes and ladders? Well, quite often, doing something 'different' can lead to 'unexpected' chances presenting themselves. And also as importantly, you will see how your degree is relevant to your future career plans, regardless of  the content of your degree.