Why volunteering is good for your career

Some volunteer programs abroad can cause more harm than good if they take much-needed paying jobs away from local workers. Look for volunteer opportunities with reputable organizations. Enjoy yourself. The best volunteer experiences benefit both the volunteer and the organization. Or are you uncomfortable simply because the situation is new and unfamiliar? VolunteerMatch — Find opportunities that match your volunteer interests, from location to type of work.

Idealist — Find volunteer opportunities in your local area or internationally. National and Community Service — Federal organization offering volunteer positions across the U. National Service. Volunteer — Directory of environmental volunteer opportunities.

Peace Corps — Offers volunteer opportunities overseas and includes a 50 Plus division. Peace Corps. Red Cross. Why volunteer?

Corporation for National and Community Service. The many ways volunteering is good for your heart — Includes resources for finding volunteer positions. Harvard Health Publications. Network for Good. This holiday season alone, millions of people will turn to HelpGuide for free mental health guidance and support. So many people rely on us in their most difficult moments. Can we rely on you? All gifts made before December 31 will be doubled. Cookie Policy. Learn how to find the right volunteer opportunity for you.

Benefits of volunteering: 4 ways to feel healthier and happier. Volunteering as a family Children watch everything you do. What are your volunteering goals? For example, you might want to: Improve your neighborhood. Sometimes, volunteer work provides you the opportunity to travel around the world and be exposed to diverse cultures. Volunteering can also help boost your self-confidence and provide you with a sense of community and social belonging that can help reduce mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

With the career market becoming more competitive than ever before, candidates need to do more than meet the minimum education, experience and skill requirements to stand out to an employer. Volunteering offers several benefits that can help you boost your professional career. Volunteer work can be the difference between what makes someone look like a good candidate and the best candidate. Here is a closer look at the specific benefits volunteering can provide to your professional career:.

Volunteering can help you discover the things you are passionate about and identify specific goals you have for your career. Through volunteer work, you can have the opportunity to try new occupations within a wide variety of industries to help you find the type of work that is right for you.

If you have limited work experience or have gaps in your employment, you can use volunteer work to show relevant experience and to fill employment gaps in your resume. Volunteer work provides students, recent graduates and individuals interested in making a career change the opportunity to gain experience that is relevant to the position they want to apply for.

It also provides you the opportunity to learn new skills and develop existing skills. If you have volunteer experience within the specific role or industry you are interested in pursuing a career in, that volunteer experience can help your resume stand out from the competition. No matter your professional history or background, volunteering can be an effective way to show future employers your work ethic, capabilities and dedication. In this article, you will learn seven reasons volunteering can be important for your career development and where to include your volunteer experience on your resume.

Volunteer work is typically considered to be an altruistic activity where an individual, group or organization provides services with no goals for social or financial gain. Often, people may think of volunteering to help a non-profit organization achieve its goals or provide support for people in the local community. While these activities are important, volunteering can also provide substantial benefits to your career development. Volunteering can have a big impact on your career growth.

From showcasing your work ethic on your resume to helping your community, volunteer work has a variety of benefits. Here are some reasons it can be important to volunteer. Volunteer work gives you valuable experience to add to your resume, especially if you are just beginning your career and are still building a solid work experience. If you are a recent graduate or plan to switch jobs, it can sometimes be difficult to get job experience without being hired for a job role.

However, volunteer work can allow you to build your work experience in an industry or position and show potential employers that, despite limited or no professional history, you do have volunteer experience that can be applied.

Another beneficial aspect that volunteering is that you may discover opportunities for networking with other people to form new professional relationships, find out about new job vacancies and develop knowledge about various community organizations that can lead to job creation. No matter where you volunteer you can expand your network to include professionals who may one day be able to assist you in your job search.

Often, when job seekers interview with job gaps in their resumes, employers may be compelled to choose other candidates who have little or no job gaps highlighted in their resumes.

Volunteering during career transitions can give you something to list on your resume if you are out of work for a period of time or just beginning to build work experience. For example, stay-at-home moms might volunteer with a nonprofit organization for family services or in community groups in leadership positions to maintain and develop their skills. Students attending school can volunteer with organizations in their fields of study to gain valuable experience that can enable them to highlight this experience upon graduation and entering their careers.

The career benefits of volunteering How sharing your free time can help you on the job. Brooke Howell, Monster Contributing Writer. Related Articles. Browse articles by