Volunteering Can Boost Any Career

Having trouble finding work? Don't sit around the house waiting for a job offer to come your way or for the phone to ring. Instead, become a volunteer. Not only does it get you out of the house, it a great way to network, just in a more subtle way.

One story: a nonprofit director asked an unemployed volunteer how she was doing. This volunteer revealed she was struggling financially, otherwise in good spirits, positive. From that short conversation she was offered a position as a writer.

If it were not for the volunteering she was doing she may not have been considered for the position. She was in the right place at that very moment while volunteering.

The U.S. Labor Department states more people are unemployed than ever before, during this recession since the Great Depression, with no good news of employment in sight for millions of people. Volunteerism is definitely an option for people looking for work and as a way to network. Certainly it is something to put on a resume it nothing else.

Volunteerism helps candidates for a job stand out from other jobless people, create networking connections, gain new skills and hone proficiencies. "If we are strategic, volunteerism can build our resumes and advance our careers," says Robin Ryan, a career counselor and author of "Soaring on Your Strengths: Discover, Use and Brand Your Best Self for Career Success."

However, volunteerism is much less effective if it's not thought out or properly utilized. For some people, "It can also waste time, if people not strategic," Ryan says.

Here's how to use your volunteer experience to everyone's benefit.

Begin With The End In Mind

Before you investigate volunteer opportunities, know what you hope to accomplish.
1) What kind of job are you looking for?
2) Consider which of your skills would be most valuable for you to build on.

With people volunteering in hopes of sharpening existing skills, knowledge base and to build new ones. Volunteering offers much less obvious professional payoffs.

Volunteering - Internet Resources

Web-based organizations can help everyone search for volunteer opportunities:
Idealist, Taproot Foundation,Volunteer Match, Serve Net, Network for Good, or International Volunteer Programs Association.

Ryan suggests volunteering inside a professional organization or association for you to meet others in your field. Developing a stronger professional network will help you gain a stronger advantage when so many of the jobs go unadvertised and you will only hear about them by networking.

"Don't go once and that's it," Ryan says, instead, stick with your volunteer commitment for the long-term by serving on a committee or helping with a cause.

Although professional development may be your ultimate goal, remember that personal satisfaction is central to a great volunteer experience, says Robert Rosenthal, director of communications at VolunteerMatch.org, which connects volunteers-to-be with nonprofits.

Volunteers should consider "what they care deepest about, what speaks to them personally and passionately," Rosenthal says. "They need to feel good not just about the work they're doing, but impact they're making," Rosenthal says.

Clear Expectations

When you accept a volunteer role, try to clearly outline objectives and time lines. Too often, volunteers are left to complete a project without any support. For this reason, it's important to state your expectations of the position right from the start, Bernstein says.

"Take the time upfront to negotiate the terms of your working arrangement," says Bernstein. "Check in with someone at the organization about your working experience at regular intervals."

Volunteering is a two-way street. While you may hope to learn new skills, the organization expects to receive a helping hand, not an extra burden.

Initiative is important when working with a nonprofit, as most nonprofits expect you to learn quickly on the job, says Ryan. Volunteers are not helpful if they're constantly asking questions and not getting the work done. "Asking questions is good, but asking every five minutes makes you a pest," Ryan says.

Some people hope a volunteer position will lead to a job with an organization. But nonprofits often have a very small staff and even smaller, tighter budgets, so volunteers spend a long time waiting for an opening.

Ryan suggests limiting your expectations. Rather than hoping it will develop into a dream job, focus on getting a letter of recommendation for proficiently performing your volunteer role. Or, concentrate on networking.

Volunteering and Unemployment Benefits

Can volunteering interfere with unemployment insurance eligibility? State law determines whether volunteering negatively impacts your unemployment benefits.

A very general rule: if volunteering does not affect your availability or job search, and if you can leave immediately to take employment, unemployment benefit eligibility is not affected.

If your volunteering position requires a full-time commitment, the state may wonder whether you are available for employment. Check with your state's Department of Labor to make sure you are within guidelines, rules and responsibilities.

Changing Directions

In some cases, unemployed workers use volunteering as a way to launch themselves into a new career path. You may be inspired by volunteer work to go back to school and obtain a degree, or certificate, adding to you knowledge base.

Places to Consider Volunteering:

Theater, Art Museum, Opera, Dance Companies, Animal Shelters, Homeless Shelters, Library, Recycling Centers, Environmental Groups, Politically Affiliated Groups, Habitat for Humanity, Religious Organization, Meal on Wheels, AIDS Support Service, Senior Citizen Community or Nursing Home, Health Care Facility, Soup Kitchen, Big Brother/Sister Programs, Red Cross, Special Olympics – to name just a few of the thousands of opportunities to volunteer.

Be a volunteer today. Be a volunteer for life!

If this website helped you find your financial future we ask you to please give as a way to say Thank You. Not only does it support this site, is is a way to give it forward so others may find their way toward financial security. Please consider giving today. Thank You.

top of page