How to integrate volunteer experience in your career?
Volunteering is a great way to gain experience in a field that you are interested in. Volunteering can be an important component of your career planning. Here are a few factors to consider when looking for volunteer experience that will benefit your career:
Are you staying in your current field or looking for a new one?
It’s important to know what you want to do for a career so you can find volunteer opportunities that will give you the experience and skills needed for your desired job. If you know what you want to do for a career, volunteer experience can help you explore different options within your chosen field.
Volunteering also helps you make critical connections with decisions makers who will influence hiring in the future. These opportunities may turn into internships or full-time jobs, and it’s a great way to keep your skills sharp while also giving back to your community. You should have a pretty good idea of what you want to do, but if you don’t, there’s no need to fret. Volunteer experience still has offers a lot of value to your career.
If you’re unsure of what you want to do for your career, volunteering is a great way to get experience in different fields and narrow down your options. You will have the chance to see what you like and don’t like, what you’re good at, and what you’re not as good at.
Keep Your Volunteer Experience Relevant for Your Career Goals
Volunteering is a great way to gain experience and learn critical new skills, but it’s important to stay engaged in your volunteer work to ensure that it stays relevant to your career goals.
Experiences can become irrelevant as your career progresses, but you can keep them relevant by continuing to develop skills and networks. It’s important to think about how your volunteer work will complement your career goals and personal interests.
Keep in mind that there are many ways to give back to the community. Volunteer work is not just limited to organisations and nonprofits; you can also serve in the military, work for a government agency or participate in clinical trials. You can find volunteer opportunities by contacting local organisations, searching online or by joining a social service agency.
Keep records of volunteer time and accomplishments
It is important to keep track of the hours you volunteer, as well as the success of your volunteer work if you want to build your resume and look for future employment. Employees who are able to show their track record for learning new skills and, more importantly, how they have applied these skills to solve real problems will be poised for success.
Be sure to note important factors of your success in volunteer projects, such as how you collaborated with others, or planned a project to meet a tight deadline. These skills are highly sought after by most hiring manager.
Leverage Volunteer Experience into a Job Offer
Volunteering can help you gain new skills and build your resume. Some employers value volunteer experience because it shows a potential employees commitment to the community and their skill set.
Volunteering can also help you find a new career opportunity. You may find a job at the organisation you volunteer for, or you may find a job in a different sector that is related to your volunteer work, such as accounting or finance.