How Working as a Volunteer Helps You Find a Future Job

Did you know that twenty-five percent of students participate in volunteering in college? The number of students participating in volunteering in high school is only slightly larger, at 26.4% of teenagers volunteering.

There are plenty of reasons to work as a volunteer. It can help your mental health as well as your physical health. You may not have realized it, but volunteering can also help you find a job!

In this article, we'll explain how each of the benefits of volunteering can help you in your efforts to find a career. We'll also explain why volunteering is beneficial to your mental health.

All you need to do in order to understand why you should volunteer is keep reading.

Helps You Stand Out

This might seem obvious, but volunteering will help you stand out as a candidate for any job before you even reach the interview stage. The fact that you volunteer will tell those overseeing the hiring process some of your better qualities.

Having volunteer experience marks you as a go-getter. Volunteering is difficult work that you choose to do. This shows the people at the company you want to join that you're able to motivate yourself and are enthusiastic about challenges.

In addition, it shows that you have a good work ethic. You could have very easily chosen to have more downtime rather than volunteer. The fact that you chose to volunteer will show your desired employer that you find joy in work, a highly desirable trait.

Lastly, it shows that you care about what you do. This means you'll likely care about your work. Employers are always eager to hire those who are passionate about what they do.

This also holds true when it comes to college admissions.

Gives You Experience

If you choose to volunteer, it will almost always be an opportunity that gives you more experience. Experience in any field is valuable. It can almost always be adapted to your field of choice.

If you happen to volunteer in an area related to your future career, that's even better! It will give you a leg up on other applicants because you've already got some experience you can put to good use.

However, you can find a way to adapt to any experience you have. Say that you volunteer at a library in a project to update one of their sections. You can translate the work it took to identify outdated books and replace them with sharp observation and research skills in any other field.

Experience a Work Environment

A great benefit of choosing to volunteer is that it gives you experience in what a work environment will be like. This is especially valuable if you've never experienced a work environment before. 

Every work environment is different, but volunteering will at least give you a look into what they are like.

This is a wonderful opportunity. You can learn what other people typically talk about at work and how to improve a work environment. You can also practice your professionalism, which makes it easier to get a job later down the line.

In addition, you can learn to recognize when a work environment is healthy vs. what a toxic workplace looks like. This will help you cultivate your own work environment later on.

Having a good work environment is essential. The happier you are, the more productive you are. The more productive you are, the better you do at work- volunteering or career-wise!

Lets You Practice Your Work Search Skills

Looking for volunteer work is incredibly similar to looking for a job. You can use the skills you develop to help you when it comes time to find a career.

First off, you can consider what you want in volunteering and what you have to offer. Figuring out what you can bring to the company is an important skill, as it's something that everyone wants to know. It's also important to know what you want to get from a career.

Next, you can learn how to cast a wide net. Letting friends and family know when you're looking for a volunteer opportunity is a good way to do this. You can also look for opportunities using the Internet.

Finally, learn to research the people you want to work with, volunteering or career-wise. This skill helps you identify if it's a place you'd truly like to work with or not.

Helps Define Your Career Goals

You might not have realized this, but there's a difference between a job and a career. Jobs are used as stepping stones to a career. Careers motivate you more than a typical job does, as well as having more chances to move up.

Volunteering will help you define what you want out of a career. You can determine what kind of opportunities you want and how you want to reach them. 

Volunteering also helps you identify what you don't want out of a career. This will help you when you begin searching for work after school.

Volunteering and knowing what you want helps you to identify the opportunities that would be considered a job vs. what could be considered a career. This is an invaluable skill that you will take with you for the rest of your life.

Helps Learn New Skills

Volunteering is a great way to learn new skills that will benefit you in any job. For this reason, you should look at a variety of volunteering opportunities. Volunteering teaches you more than you might think it does.

If you know the basics of some skills, then volunteering will help you develop those skills. For example, you'll go from knowing how to do basic research to being able to scour databases for what you need.

You might land a volunteering opportunity that involves more manual work than mental effort. These manual opportunities are also full of skills!

You may gain more physical skills and be able to lift more than you could before. Or you might gain some basic skills in an area like carpentry if you're involved in a volunteer project that builds things!

Improves Your Resume

One of the biggest benefits of gaining volunteer experience is that it can go on your resume. Having more to add to your resume is always a good thing.

Being able to add volunteering to your resume shows that you're dedicated to growing as a person. It also shows that you have more experience than other candidates might, which makes you more desirable.

In addition, you can add the skills you gained during your time as a volunteer to your resume. Whether you've learned the ins and outs of Microsoft Excel or you're experienced in manual labor, this will be a bonus.

Lets You Network

When it comes to finding a career, making connections is everything. Volunteering will let you do that.

Depending on where you volunteer, you'll come into contact with all kinds of people. These people will be from all kinds of fields. This opens up a world of chances for you.

When volunteering, do your best to create a level of ground between you and the people you're trying to network with. Befriend them and make it so they'll help you find other people to get in contact with.

When you begin searching for a job, these connections will be invaluable. Having friends in the industry is a great way to get in the industry yourself.

The more friends you have, the better! If these people trust and like you, their employers will be inclined to give you a chance. Then you can prove they were right to give you a chance with the skills you gained from volunteering.

Find Opportunities

Volunteering is a great way to find more opportunities that you wouldn't have found otherwise.

This is partially because volunteering lets you make connections in the field. When people know you and like you, they're more likely to fill you in on job opportunities.

In addition, if you volunteer with an organization that also has paid positions, you have the benefit of being an insider. If you try to apply for paid jobs within the organization, you have a better chance than someone who has never worked with them before.

Finally, volunteers talk to each other. If you make friends during your time volunteering, they can help point you to jobs you wouldn't have known of otherwise.

Volunteering helps open many doors for you, even if you don't realize that now.

Managers Value Volunteers

You might have already gathered this, but hiring managers value volunteers. Many hiring managers consider volunteer experience as good as paid job experience. This is beneficial to anyone but can be especially beneficial to those who were unemployed before seeking a job.

Adding your volunteer experience to your resume can increase your chances of getting a job by twenty-seven percent. This is true even if your volunteer experience wasn't in the field you're applying for.

However, volunteer experience in your own field can be valuable beyond measure. Employers aren't just looking for people who can fulfill the job requirements; they're looking for a myriad of qualities. One of these qualities is whether or not you can fit into the company's culture.

If you have similar interests to the team and experience volunteering in those interests, this gives you a huge advantage when applying.

You Can Volunteer Virtually

If you're not up to the manual labor that some volunteering comes with, there are also ways that you can volunteer online. You don't need to miss out on the benefits of volunteering- just look into virtual volunteering opportunities near you!

One thing you can do is offer to volunteer with the crisis text line. If you're eighteen and can commit to at least four hours a week, you're likely to be accepted. Volunteering at a crisis hotline is a great way to learn a lot of life lessons and make a difference in someone's life.

You could also try to volunteer with the United Nations! They can connect you to many different organizations in need of any skills you might have. This is both a good job opportunity and will look great on any resume!

Finally, look into your local library! There may be a chance for you to offer your skills to them virtually. Doing local volunteer work will endear you to any business in your town.

Work as a Volunteer: Mental Benefits

Something that you might not have realized is that volunteering improves your self-esteem. Doing something you feel is worthwhile will give you a sense of accomplishment and purpose. This helps you feel more fulfilled in life and gives you encouragement about your future goals.

In addition, many people choose volunteering opportunities that involve hobbies they love. This brings some fun into your day-to-day life no matter what else you do! In addition, volunteering for something you enjoy will give you the creativity and motivation you can bring to the rest of your life.

Finally, the act of volunteering itself can make you happy! Contributing to organizations or causes you care about will provide your brain with good feelings. Good feelings will lessen the presence of anger, stress, or anxiety in your life.

In addition, many volunteering opportunities involve physical labor. This means you're sure to keep activesomething that also reduces stress and anxiety!

Join the Honor Society

Now that you've heard why you should work as a volunteer, why don't you consider joining the Honor Society? We offer many opportunities to volunteer, plus a myriad of other benefits.

Some of these benefits include discounts on various types of insurance, discounts at restaurants, and unique scholarship opportunities.

Take a few minutes to fill out our membership application! You won't regret it at all. 

Joining Honor Society is one of the greatest ways to help you during your time at college. Don't miss out on it!