Career Benefits of Volunteering

 

In today’s competitive job market, it can be challenging to stand out from the crowd. But by adding activities to your resume that are outside of your day-to-day work, you can make yourself more attractive to prospective employers and help demonstrate how your skill set is a good match for their company. A great way to do this is by getting involved in volunteering.

Volunteering has numerous benefits – not only for the people who receive your services, but also for you as an individual. Additionally, volunteering can help you develop new skills, meet new people, and give you a sense of purpose outside of your job and personal life. That being said, it might seem difficult to find time in your schedule for volunteering when you’re already so busy. But if you think about the long term benefits of volunteering and the potential opportunities available to you locally and online, there are plenty of ways that it could fit into even the busiest person’s schedule. In this article, Cindy Imperato will give you all the details you need to know about why volunteering is such a great idea and what it could mean for your future career prospects.

 

Build Your Resume and Help Others

One of the most obvious benefits of volunteering is that it can serve as an excellent addition to your resume. Volunteering shows prospective employers that you are a kind, compassionate person who is willing to give back to the community. This shows that you’re a good fit for the organization, and it could help you get your foot in the door for job opportunities in the future. Volunteering is also a great way to show off your skills. For example, if you’re applying to a position in marketing, you could volunteer at a children’s hospital and develop marketing materials for them. If you’re applying for a position in education, you could volunteer at a literacy program and gain experience working with children and teens. Whatever your field of interest, there is likely a way to volunteer in your local community that will allow you to showcase your skills.

 

Gain New Skills

Many places that offer volunteer opportunities encourage their volunteers to learn new skills along the way. By volunteering, you’re actively working to develop new competencies that could prove helpful in your professional life. Volunteering can help you gain experience in many different fields, including education, healthcare, law, and social work. Not only can this benefit you in your professional life, but it can also help you build connections with professionals in those fields, who could be helpful connections as you advance in your career, explains retired judge Cindy Imperato.

 

Meet New People

Volunteering offers the chance to meet and make connections with people who are passionate about the same issues you care about, as well as people from different backgrounds and with different skill sets than you have. This can expand your network of contacts and improve your professional and personal life. Volunteering is also a great way to meet people who can help you understand the local culture better, which can be especially helpful if you’re new to the area.

 

Showcase Your Character and Commitment to Company Culture

Volunteer work can showcase your character and also help you to better understand company culture. This can be especially helpful if you’re applying for a job with a non-profit organization or a smaller company. Volunteering can also help you learn more about the community you live in and make you feel more connected to it. If you’re interested in working for a non-profit, this can be especially helpful, since they often have a mission that aligns with the interests of the local community, adds Cindy Imperato, Board Chair of the American Red Cross Broward County.

 

Develop a Sense of Purpose

Volunteering can help you find a sense of purpose outside of your career. This can be particularly beneficial if you’re in a job that doesn’t align with your personal values. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in a specific field, volunteering in this field can help you gain a deeper understanding of the work and develop a sense of purpose for your work.

 

Summing up

There are many benefits to volunteering in addition to building your resume and gaining new skills and meeting new people and showing off your character and committing to company culture and developing a sense of purpose. These include feeling a greater sense of connection to your local community, learning more about the issues people are facing, and gaining a better understanding of how nonprofit organizations operate. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector, volunteering can be a great way to get your foot in the door. And the best part is, you can do all of this while making a positive impact on those around you.