Volunteering Can Lead to Better Job Opportunities

There are a number of reasons why you might be job hunting. You might be one of the many people who lost a job during the recession and have yet to be able to replace it; you might have been staying home and raising your children; you may even have been ill or caring for a loved one. Even recent graduates are finding it difficult to find a job in the current job market. In times of high unemployment, the job market becomes tougher and more competitive. To have an advantage, you must be able to demonstrate that you have the skills and experience the employer needs.

How Volunteering Aids Your Job Search

One of the best ways to become more competitive as a potential employee is by volunteering while you are job hunting.  Volunteering is a great way to keep your skills active and be attuned to the work environment. Monster.com lists a number of benefits to volunteering that make you a more attractive candidate:  volunteering is a way to develop new skills and keep learned skills refreshed; it can help you fill in employment gaps; it allows you to give back to the community or favorite cause; and it’s a great opportunity to make new contacts with people or organizations. If you are trying to land a job with a nonprofit organization, volunteering for them can give you a competitive advantage over other candidates when a paid job opens up.

Most of all, volunteering can make you feel good about yourself. When you feel good about yourself, you exude more confidence…and that can make all the difference when trying to land the job of your dreams (or one that will pay the bills!).

How to Find a Volunteer Opportunity

Finding the right volunteer opportunity is usually as simple as contacting a charity or nonprofit for whom you already have a passion. Most organizations will gladly snap up your talent, and will even try to match your talents to the volunteer positions they have available. If you’re not sure where to start, organizations like Volunteers of America and VolunteerMatch can help.

The volunteers who help New Directions Career Center are an invaluable addition to our team, allowing us to do more to help more people and change more lives. We could not survive without them. To learn more about volunteering with New Directions Career Center, visit our website or email volunteer@newdirectionscc.org.