Volunteering for a nonprofit organization can help you get a job. There are five main ways serving as a volunteer can help you while you’re helping others.
Make Networking Contacts
You never know who you’ll meet when volunteering. Many volunteers are professionals over the age of 25 with a college degree. It’s likely you’ll meet somebody who can help you land a good job in the area, especially if you volunteer for a position related to your career goals.
Develop New Skills
Volunteering is a wonderful opportunity to develop new skills. You can pick up skills that your education or jobs didn’t expose you to. Skills you can learn include team management, project management and sales.
Show Your Ambition to Potential Employers
Job candidates that list volunteering positions stand out from their peers. You’ll have more depth to your resume, which can help you get noticed. Many companies have corporate social responsibility policies. Therefore, being a volunteer could show that you’re a good cultural fit.
Additional Experience and Fill Gaps in Employment
Your experience as a volunteer is also professional experience. List the organizations you’ve volunteered for and the dates on your resume. Volunteering helps you fill employment gaps, which can look bad to companies.
Instead of listing your position at the nonprofit as a “volunteer,” state the position you held. Examples include “teacher,” “project coordinator,” and “development assistance.”
Gain References From Volunteering
If you’re an effective volunteer, you may find people in the organization willing to serve as a reference for you. Before you ask someone to serve as a reference, make sure you know where you stand with them. Some organizations will give you work experience certificates, such as Habitat for Humanity.
Accurate Placement of Phoenix, AZ, is a full-service staffing and employment agency. We help employers and employees who are looking for the right job placements. Whether you’re searching for a job or hiring for a position in the greater Phoenix area, we can help you. Please contact us today to find out more.