Volunteer Your Way to the Paid Job of Your Dreams

While volunteering is extremely rewarding on its own, did you know that it is possible to “volunteer” your way to a paid job?

Yes, volunteering can benefit your career in a number of ways:

• Volunteering can give you the exact experience you need to obtain your “dream job”. Since employers do value job candidates with relevant on-the-job experience and since volunteer work can set you apart from other candidates, this type of volunteer work can prove to be invaluable.

• You can also secure an excellent job reference when you apply for other career opportunities. After all, a recommendation from someone in your in job field and by someone your potential employer trusts is an excellent way to secure a career position.

• You will expand your networking circle as you will most likely meet quite a few different people through your volunteer experiences. Besides for social reasons, meeting new people is important to your career as these individuals can give you access to the hidden job market.

• You will gain new skills as you will be working with different people in a new environment. Learning new things and being versatile is important from both a career and a personal growth perspective.

• You will be one of the first people to know if a job opens up at the organization you are contributing to. Since employers are usually more comfortable hiring people who they know can get the job done and get along well with others, you will be at a distinct advantage.

While volunteering, you should treat your volunteer position as you would a paid position. In other words, be on time, dress appropriately, and work diligently. When appropriate, you can also volunteer to help other people complete their projects. If you want to take on a more high profile role, you can volunteer to be on a committee. In general, more key decision makers are often involved in committees as well.

Also, do remember that you can list your volunteer position as you would any other position on your resume. While you should also mention that you were a volunteer, you should definitely list your duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments on your resume.

Interested in learning more about volunteering? Visit Idealist.org or contact an organization that you are interested in working with directly.

By:  Larisa Redins