“OK WIFM — ‘What’s in It For Me’”? If that’s your immediate reaction on reading the title of this article, read the following statements and see if any of them apply to you:
If even one of these statements applies to you, then volunteering could be just the boost your career needs. Here are a few proven ways volunteering can help you reach your goals.
Valuable Canadian Experience
More than 65 per cent of hiring managers value volunteering experience to be “important” when selecting candidates, immigrant or Canadian-born. Volunteering also gives you, as a newcomer, a great chance to build your experience in a real workplace. Hiring managers always prefer candidates with local workplace experience.
Flexibility and Adaptability
Volunteering helps you to meet and work with people from diverse backgrounds, multiple attitudes and different views. This kind of flexibility and adaptability are strong must-have skills on your resumé.
Skills Enhancement
Embrace the chance to hone your existing skills and learn and develop new ones — like learning a new language or understanding new software — in a real-life setting. If you are looking for a career change, you can fortify the skills you possess, but are not currently using in your work.
Network Expansion
Volunteering is one of the fastest and most natural forms of networking when you are exploring job opportunities. Leverage the chance to meet new people and through them expand your network. Every new person you meet becomes part of your network and may potentially connect you with other contacts and career opportunities.
Career Exploration
If a career change is on your mind, this is your chance to explore different occupations and industry sectors. Get to know the key people and learn more about the challenges and rewards involved and gain a better understanding of the jobs available. Volunteering in a specific field can make your candidature stand out in any competitive scenario.
Confidence Booster
The potential to develop your technical skills and interpersonal abilities are perhaps the most obvious ways in which volunteering can help with career development. Competence leads to confidence and volunteering can help you feel active, useful and productive — especially if you’ve been unemployed for a while.
In The End, Everyone Wins
And here’s a last piece of news to bolster the argument: volunteering is a great way to learn responsibility and give back to the community. This is also the reason, why schools across Ontario require students to complete 40 hours of volunteer and community service work in order to get their diploma.
A few years ago, I, too, began volunteering with the Canadian Association of Marketing Professionals (CAMP). Today, I have a great time helping established professionals and new Canadians integrate into the job market effectively. The CAMP organization has grown to more than 1,000 members, with everything being accomplished by a handful of us, volunteering for a cause we believe in, and may I add, enjoying every bit of it.
Volunteering is a win-win situation. By helping others, you also get the opportunity to enhance your professional credentials. You will find that giving some of your time and expertise will pay off in more ways than one.