The Professional Benefits of Volunteering

The Professional Benefits of VolunteeringThe Professional Benefits of VolunteeringIf youre thinking about changing careers its often necessary to find a way to develop new skills. This is leid always possible in your current position so doing volunteer workcan be a fantastic way of breaking into a new industry or profession.Even if youre not planning to change careers, there are numerous personal benefits of volunteering. Including volunteer work on your resume not only demonstrates you have the required skills, it shows that you are passionate, have a positive attitude, are motivated by things other than money, andthat youre willing to help others. ansicht are attractive attributes for employers.Meeting others through volunteer work is the most common way people expand their network and such connections are invaluable for professionals. The health, psychological, and healthbenefits of volunteeringshould not also be underestimated.Aside from personal gains, the benefits of volunteeri ng for the communityare immense. Although there are professional benefits of volunteering, the main motivations are normally entirely selfless.The professional benefits of volunteer workJust because volunteer work is unpaid does not mean that it is any less valuable. The skills you learn when volunteering are just as useful as those you learn in paid positions and including them on your resume is just as convincing for employers. Here are some of the professional benefits of volunteering.Gaining career experienceVolunteering gives you the chance to gain work experience in your field. If youve just graduated or are applying for entry-level jobs, you can find yourself in a chicken-and-egg situation when its hard to get your first job in your desired field. However, volunteer work is easier to find. By getting that valuable first experience under your belt you become much more employable.Trying out a new careerIt can be difficult to know which career you want to pursue without actually trying it. Taking a full-time, paid position is a big commitment and skipping between jobs and careers too regularly will make it seem to employers that you lack direction. Doing volunteer work is a fantastic way of trying something to see if its what you want to do.Training opportunitiesThough more affordable part-time courses which are emerging, the cost of education is generally getting more expensive. With this in mind, receiving free training can be as valuable, if not more so, than receiving a wage. Many organizations who use volunteers provide extensive training which can be invaluable in the long run.Improves job prospectsVolunteer work improves your job prospects for two main reasons. Firstly, in a competitive job market, professional networking is essential and volunteering is a fantastic way of expanding yours. Getting a professional recommendation from someone can significantly increase your chances of getting a job. Secondly, employers look favorably on job applicants who have volunteer work on their resume. It makes a very positive impression.How to list volunteer work on your resumeShould you include volunteer work on your resume?Resumes should be as concise as possible which means space is limited. You should include volunteer work on your resume if1) The position demonstrates that you have skills which are relevant to the job youre applying for.2) You are writing a student resumeor ab entry-level resume and have limited experience.3) You have gaps in your work experience section on your resume to fill.If you decide to add volunteer work to your resume you have options. If the experience is related to your career or to the position youre applying for then you can include it in your work experience section. You should make it clear that its volunteer work by either including the word volunteer in the job title or in brackets after the job title.If the experience you gained is unrelated, you can include a Volunteer Work or Volunteer Experience s ection on your resume. However, if you have gaps in your work experience, you can use any voluntary positions to plug the gaps.Many candidates use resume templates to produce professional-looking documents quickly. You should tailor your resume for each job application to meet the specific requirements of each one. Using a resume builderallows you to make quick edits.