Want a good job but don’t have experience for it? Want to start something new but don’t have expertise or skills required for it?
All of you might have asked these questions at some phase of your life but don’t usually get satisfactory answers. Learning new skills and getting experience may also require added time and money too. A simple and easy on pocket solution to all these problems is “Volunteering”. Volunteering is a great way to learn new things while exercising your existing skills. Means you can learn and strengthen your skills at the same time.
As Winston Churchill said “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give”. Volunteering may not give you a fancy amount but the benefits it offers are incomparable. You might be thinking what hat sort of skills can you get by volunteering?
This usually depends upon the nature of volunteering work you go for. For instance, if you are working as a volunteer in an event’s core team, you can learn teamwork; improve your managerial and marketing skills. You get to learn whatever you want to learn, be it is working with a graphic designer to learn digital skills or be is getting some tips to start your very own business. Volunteering can help you in many ways.
Adding value to your work
Diamond needs to be polished enough to get a perfect spark. Similarly experience adds value to your skills. Practicing digital media skills to design tickets of workshop/event may get you a good certificate that would add value to your resume or CV. But keep one important point in mind, you should never brag about your skill level while applying as a volunteer. Keep your skill level in track and join those organizations where you know your skills and expertise will get polished
Create a difference, or be a difference
Volunteering can help you in creating a difference in society. You can even make a difference even by a small gesture. For instance, you see many bright children roaming around the slums because they don’t have any schools or guidelines to study? You can improve or learn teaching strategies and in return you would be nurturing some brilliant minds along with your skills.
Getting some important contacts
You might have often heard people complaining “only reference can help you get a good job”, let us give a new perspective to this statement. Generally, employers hire those people who they know can get along with them and their work environment. In this scenario, volunteering can aid you with skills of getting important professional contacts in your list. You can meet new people and make a lot of professional contacts You can get new interesting hobbies and boost your employment prospects at the same time. Because the same people working with you as volunteers may also be judging you based on your skills and interests. For instance, volunteered internship in an industry can result in a permanent job. Or working as volunteer socially active NGOs can also of great benefit. Everything without a single penny! Your determination and motivation to work can add cherry to top if it.
Check your workplace before really getting in
Volunteering in an industry or a multi-national company may also give an idea about overall work environment. This especially helps when you want to switch careers. Volunteering in workplace of choice may give detailed picture about the responsibilities, rewards and challenges that are involved in achieving milestones. For instance, as a bank volunteer you may get to interact with everyone from cashier to manager and can learn skills of your choice be that are finance related or management.
Communication Skills
Many individuals feel awkward, especially on social gatherings, when they have to sit with people of different age. Rather embrace this situation and initiate a conversation, some choose to remain quiet. This leads to be more of a generation gap between individuals. Through volunteering, communication begins, the more you communicate, the more you understand each other’s lingo. Our generation is at disconnect, its time to reconnect.
Confidence, self-boost
Most of the time such unfortunate circumstances may get you in darkness of depression so in order to make your self more active and productive you can always sign up for volunteering activities. You get mental peace and feel good about yourself. Because even small accomplishments make great impact in boosting morale.
Explore yourself
Volunteering help you understand your aims from the job and give potential chances to make yourself grow. Volunteering also pave way for you to invest time in your hobbies. For instance, I loved paper dragons and boats, volunteering in renovating old schools gave me an opportunity to learn origami from experts.
Volunteering is sort of a win-win situation in which both parties are equally benefited. On one side it assures your future employer that you can manage your time well along with the tasks. Volunteering also help in interacting with new people. Volunteering can be in anything, for example, you can exercise your skills as translator if you know multiple languages. Sometimes volunteering may also get you a qualification. While on the other hand, word of mouth and fame of organization may also be fruitful for organization as well.
Volunteering is a beautiful way to give back to your community and support the causes you believe in. It requires a strong commitment, of your time and energy, however the experience you gain in return in the form if skills is invaluable.
Volunteering is a personal journey of discovery. Although this article sheds light on the marvelous skills you can gain there are many more that will tough you. If you would like to find out more, go take up a volunteering opportunity
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