Volunteering: An Easy Way to Gain Experience, Skills, References, and More Benefits

Do you feel like you’re missing purpose in your life? Do you want to have the opportunity to help others more? Would you like to gain skills and experience in the process?

A great way to accomplish all of these goals is by volunteering. Contrary to what you may believe, volunteering does not have to take up a lot of your time and energy. There are opportunities that require a commitment of only a couple of hours a week, or even a month. 

I have a lot of personal experience with being a volunteer, having been at a food pantry, hospitals, a senior home, and, currently, as a financial coach.  I have had good experiences at each of these places, and enjoyed helping the organizations and the people that they serve. Even though the work required has not been very complicated, I have appreciated being able to work with a team, and to be a part of something bigger than myself. 

Volunteering can also be a very effective way to gain skills, experience, and a reference, but you can also gain much more. When I began as a volunteer at the senior community, I was hoping to learn from the activity director, which I did, but I was able to also benefit from valuable relationships with the residents, which I hadn’t planned on. 

To get started as a volunteer is simple – there are a couple of different types of steps you can take:

1.    If you are flexible, and do not have s specific place or type of work in mind, you can check a website such as www.volunteermatch.com, and peruse their volunteer opportunity listings. If you find one that you are interested in, you can easily get in touch with the organization offering it, and speak with or e-mail their contact person. 

2.    If you have a particular place or type of work in mind, you can simply contact the organization or agency, and ask if they have any volunteer opportunities available, and in your preferred position. If this organization already has a volunteer staff, it probably has a volunteer coordinator, who you can communicate with, who would be knowledgeable about their situation, and whether they are looking for another volunteer. 

If you find a volunteer position that you are interested in, you most likely would only have to fill out a short application, and, possibly, pass a background check. Many organizations do not require an employment history, as the position is unpaid. 

Once you are accepted, you usually only have to go through an orientation before beginning, to learn more about the place, its history, and policies, as well as your general responsibilities. Once you start, do not be afraid to ask for help, as the people you are working with will likely be grateful you are there helping them out, and will be happy to show you the ropes.

Another great thing about being a volunteer, is that it is less stressful than a job, and if it seems like it is not working out, you can easily leave and try volunteering someplace else that better fits what you are looking for. 

There you go - it is that easy to begin volunteering, and gain the experience, skills, and reference you are looking for, along with other benefits, as well. I wish you well on your volunteer journey!

Note: for more information on how to include volunteer experience as one of your work segments to attain your dream job, go to the career life area page.