Volunteering jobs more appealing nowadays
By Tai for DivineCaroline.com
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Income … $0. Value … Priceless.
It’s always a good thing to give back. Whether it is doing hands on service with a group like Habitat for Humanity, or assisting in the back office of a local non-profit, there are benefits beyond money that come from volunteering. Apart from just the positive feeling of sowing good actions into a cause you believe in and the impact on the lives of the recipients, volunteering can also help your career. Here are six ways volunteering can help your career:
1. It can fuel your passion. If your current job is not your ideal work, volunteering at something you enjoy is an alternative source of the passion that your you can’t get from your job right now.
2. You can practice new skills. No opportunity in your current job to stretch or learn something new? Find a volunteer opportunity that allows you to explore new roles and skills that you’d like to develop. It’s experience you can add to your resume.
3. Volunteer your way into a potential job. Maybe you don’t have the experience to earn the paid position yet. Signing on as a volunteer gives you a chance to learn the organization, build relationships there, and show that you have what it takes to do job.
4. Volunteering is an opportunity to expand your network. Not only will you meet people who support the same cause, you will find people that have personal and professional connections that can help you—especially if you are looking for a job.
5. Exposure to new ways of doing things. Seeing how another organization runs things, and being exposed to different ways of managing, brainstorming, solving problems, can provide a fresh way to look at the challenges you face in your paid position.
6. You can use it as a team building experience. This one goes beyond just you. Do you lead or work with a team? Finding a group volunteering opportunity can be a low-cost way to do good and re-establish positive connections with your team.
Looking for volunteer opportunities? Here’s a few links to jump-start your search:
Idealist.org
1-800 Volunteer .org
Network for Good
Volunteer Match
Volunteer.gov (powered by Network for Good has additional volunteering info on main site)
Global Volunteer Network: Volunteer Abroad
BoardNet: Serve on a non-profit board
Originally published on DivineCaroline.com
