People tend to put volunteering with helping the homeless, like doing soup kitchens. There are so many ways that you can volunteer, and it can help you in more than one way also. Not only do you get the positive feeling of helping out a charitable organization and their mission, but it can be a way for you to gain experience. If you want to work in aged care but have no experience with the elderly or aged care equipment, after completing your studies, go and volunteer in a nursing home.
Many elderly don’t have family that visit often, and some need help with cutting up their food, seating their fitted pressure relief cushion etc. Volunteering looks great on your CV and is a great way to get to know the industry first hand. It is essential to realize it isn’t just the paid experience that should matter.
There are three main ways that volunteering can boost up your resume:
Proves You’re Serious and Want The Experience
A common problem among job seekers is the fact that most employers won’t consider you if you have no experience in the job field. Truth is you need a job to get the said experience. The reality of it is that people can feel weary, tired and defeated when they are applying to certain positions.
If you lack in experience, then there are going to be ample opportunities that can give you a taste of the new industry by volunteering. You can volunteer in many different sectors from fundraising, aged care to things like a social media manager, and so on. Doing volunteer work that is in the filed that you want to work in shows employers that you want the job. Adding volunteer work to your resume helps you show your dedication and commitment to stand out from the crowd when the decision process starts. Clearly show how volunteer work has helped you within that organization.
It can be hard to get a job without experience, but having volunteer work on your resume will give you the boost you have been looking for.
Gives Insight Into Your Personality and Interests
Everything that you are doing outside of a paid job gives employers an insight into what you care about. It would be best if you support something meaningful to you. Most employers only want a CV so they can figure out if you are a good fit for the job. If employers see that you don’t actually fit into their culture, depending on how well you perform your job, you are either going to have a hard time competing for a raise and a promotion or struggle to keep your job there.
It is not just about your interest that hiring managers will look into. Still, they also like to get a feel for your personality. If you are involved in volunteer work, it can show a company that you stand for something and gives them more info about your character. It shows that you are generous, you are happy to give back and also shows determination, leadership, intuition and a passion for that certain area of work.
Shows You’re Not Driven By Money
The worse thing you can say to an employer when applying for a job is “I need the money”. Employers, more often than not, don’t want to be hiring someone who is just driven by money. Volunteer work is unpaid, and as you have put yourself into that, it shows that you are dedicated to your field of work without the need to gain money from it.
