Are you having trouble breaking in to your ideal company or industry? Are you making a career switch and lack essential experience to land quality jobs? Do you have a passion for a topic, industry, or organization?
Volunteering may be your answer.
A whooping 89 percent of job seekers and employed workers on LinkedIn reported having volunteer experience in 2011. This is a large number that’s mostly going unnoticed, with only 45 percent actually reporting this volunteer work. But listen up, folks! At least 20 percent of hiring managers have made hiring decisions based on volunteer work. I’m sure this number has increased since then.
So how can volunteering actually make an impact on your job search?
Volunteering locally will show off your current skills and help you attain industry-specific skills. I’ve always been passionate about art, museums, and art education. Without an art degree, I have yet to gain the right experience in this market to really get involved. But I’ve been told time and time again that volunteering is going to be my best bet. Volunteering at a local organization might not land you a dream job, but it will let you showcase the skills you have while learning industry-specific skills that you might not have the chance to learn anywhere else.
Volunteering will open doors to new contacts and job connections in the industry you seek. If you’re a quick learner and you impress upper management with your sleek skills, you’ll definitely be landing some great contacts and references! Volunteering is one of the best ways to land networking contacts, especially in a new industry. Be open to meeting new people just as much as you’re open to learning new skills.
If there’s a passion in your work, volunteering will eventually translate to job leads. Hiring managers want to see where your passion lies. And if they know you’re driven in your work, you’re already more employable to them. Volunteering (and doing it well) reveals a lot about a job candidate.
Before you get too excited, follow these last tips to get the most out of volunteer experience:
- Be patient. Volunteering doesn’t guarantee immediate job placement.
- Be professional, but have fun too. Although you’re just volunteering and not an actual employee, your boss still expects professional-level work to be done.
- Don’t forget to put this experience on your resume and social profiles. If you did some cool things, talk it up! Volunteering means you’re dedicated to your industry/profession and that’s a good thing.
How have your volunteer experiences impacted your job search?
