Volunteering is not always about giving back to the community and being a good samaritan. In addition to working for a cause you believe in, it can also do a great deal for your resume!
When you start your journey as a volunteer, you don’t often think about your professional CV. It is time that you start reflecting your good nature on your resume because it can do wonders for you, professionally.
Many college students are told to put in volunteering experience if they want to get into good colleges. However, it is important to keep plodding onwards on your volunteer journey, even when you’ve begun working.
Here are some reasons why volunteering will make your job profile stronger.
1. It Gives You The Opportunity To Try New Things
Volunteering is a great way to try out new things. If you are just starting out as a professional, volunteering for a cause that you are interested in may give you the option of trying out different job roles to see which one you like the best!
When you’re a volunteer, you have the freedom to take on diverse roles and try out different job descriptions!
This will not only make your CV stronger. It will give you the opportunity to learn about yourself and what makes you happy. You may or may not find your passion at the NGO!
2. It Helps You Expand Your Professional Network
Volunteering for a cause that you believe is is a great way to meet like-minded people. Others might be in the same space as you are, and their life-journeys might also be similar. This sets you up to become friends, colleagues, and work-acquaintances.
You can create and expand a network that will help you professionally later on!
Working with these people also lets them know about your strengths, your work ethic, and your personality. People give you references for jobs, you find potential employees within the pool of your volunteering network, and you make life-long friends as well!
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3. It Might Give Your Professional Perks
A lot of organisations take your volunteering experience very seriously. If you are working in the arts, humanities, or entertainment sectors, your experience can often count as an asset on your resume.
If your volunteering experience helped you pick up some skills, make sure you mention it in your resume or during your interviews.
Not only do you get recognition as a volunteer, but you might also get perks and benefits from the organisations that you are volunteering at! Free tickets, discounts, subsidised entry into places, etc, might all be made available to you!
4. It Looks Good On Your Resume
Volunteering is a great addition to your resume. It does not matter whether you are a fresher, right out of college, or have been working for 10+ years. Putting your volunteering experience on your resume make you seem more reliable.
Having volunteering experience on your resume can also act as a great advertisement for your personality. it showcases your interests and passions!
Your potential employers might be interested in the kind of person that you are. Having the word ‘volunteer’ on your resume comes with the added perk of making you seem more dependable and trustworthy. Especially if you have been working as a volunteer for a long time!
5. It Gives You An Opportunity To Blow Off Steam
Working in a fast-paced environment day-in and day-out can leave you feeling a little exhausted and bored with life. Leading an unfulfilling professional life is often the cause for disillusionment, anger, and negativity. However, there is a simple solution to this.
Volunteering also offers you a respite from your daily tasks and responsibilities. It allows you to work for something that you are passionate about.
It is important to start your volunteering journey at a place that you care about. This will ensure that it not only becomes a hobby but also a foil to professional discontentment. When you spend a good chunk of time doing something that matters to you, even the most boring job in the world might not have the power to pull you down. This makes you a better employee and a happier person!
6. It Makes You More Confident
By honing your skillset, finding a new network, and leveling-up your CV, volunteering promises to make you a better individual. It gives you the life experience to answer interview questions more confidently and with better authority!
Volunteering experience moUlds you to become a more well-rounded candidate for new jobs as well!
And the best part is that your potential employers know that! They are usually aware that your volunteering experience can come in handy. Not only when it comes to skills and work, but also in terms of a professional network. You are also more self-assured at work as you now have real-life experience that you can pull examples and learnings from!
You might have begun your journey as a volunteer a long time ago, to help a cause that was dear to your heart. However, if you’ve stuck around, make sure that you reflect your journey and your learnings on your CV. A strong volunteer-experience can be the gateway to a dream job or the perfect, glowing, professional review!
Good luck volunteering!
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