Why You Should Seek Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering is the act of devoting your time with no price tag attached. This can mean anything from working in the campaign office of an up-and-coming politician to cleaning litter off of highways. Just as each of us is unique, so are the range of volunteer opportunities. Participating in volunteer service of some kind can have several benefits, on the personal level and beyond. Consider some of these reasons to volunteer.

Volunteer Opportunities - Helping Others

The most important reason to volunteer is to help others. Many people believe that if everyone who was able would provide a little of their time to those who need it, the world would be a better place. While such utopian ideas may not seem possible in our current society, you can still make a difference. Imagine being the person who teaches a child (or an adult, for that matter) to read. Think of how that person's life grows and changes for the better, and all because you helped.

Providing help as a volunteer shows someone that you care, and that they're not alone in the world. If they're carrying a heavy burden, through illness or diminished financial status, simply treating them with respect and a helping hand can reinforce their confidence. The boost they get from you might be all it takes to help them cope, or to improve their lives.

Volunteer Opportunities - Personal Fulfillment

As with helping others, personal fulfillment is an important reason to seek volunteer opportunities. Knowing that you make a difference is heartwarming. By raising confidence in others, you may just raise your own. You might find that you're more capable or knowledgeable than you thought. Many volunteer programs will have you using and developing new skills, thereby expanding your range of knowledge. Volunteering in a hospital might teach you how to make beds with those perfect "hospital corners", for example, or teach you a whole range of medical terminology. Look at volunteerism as a learning experience.

Volunteer Opportunities - "Getting Your Feet Wet"

If you're interested in a particular career but don't have the experience, why not volunteer? Many volunteer opportunities can help you gain career-related skills. Before investing several years in a degree, test the waters with a volunteering experience. Seek out internships; most of these will be offered exclusively to college students, but you can also contact companies individually to ask about unpaid opportunities. Receiving on-the-job training in your desired field, or one that's closely related, will often be enough to help you decide if this is truly the career path you want. Doing the "grunt work" in an industry can wash away a lot of the glamour that you associate with that job, especially in high-profile fields like advertising and public relations. Volunteering in this manner can also count as "free job training", which is a great way to break into fields that require experience but no clear entry-level point.

Volunteer Opportunities - Building Your Resume

Performing volunteer acts adds value to you as a potential employee. By volunteering, you show employers that you work hard even when you're not financially motivated. You prove that you seek out unique experiences, have a range of expertise beyond your work experience, and are generally a better-rounded candidate. If your volunteer experience is also related to the field in which you're pursuing a job, this will translate well to interviewers. You'll have proven a sincere passion for the field, which will in turn make employers more interested in you.

Volunteer Opportunities - Community Outreach

We all want to live in beautiful, clean and safe communities. Participating in community-based volunteer opportunities can make those desires a reality. Plant a community garden, and the entire neighborhood will save a little on their air conditioning bill. Clean up a nearby park and kids will have a safe place to play. Search online for information about the "broken window theory" - this is a term used in sociology and criminal justice to explain the negative impact bad neighborhoods have on their residents. The broken window theory works two ways; if people in a community make the effort to beautify and help moderate their neighborhood, community activity goes up and crime rates go down. Be a part of building a better world, even if only on your own block.

Volunteer Opportunities - Making Friends

Volunteering can help you meet up with people you might have never met otherwise. People from all walks of life participate in volunteer work, at any age and any skill level. Not to mention, people who seek out the same kind of volunteer work you do probably have much more in common with you. Working at your church can introduce you to people who attend weekly services at a different time, whom you'd never have run into otherwise.

If you're new to an area, looking for a volunteer opportunity can help you build roots in your new community. Establish yourself as a community ally; someone friends and neighbors can count on and communicate with. If your volunteerism includes working with people directly, rather than things like neighborhood beautification, the people you're there to help can also become new friends. You can never have too many connections, right?

Volunteer Opportunities - Using "Downtime"

Another career-based way to make the most of volunteering is to fill gaps in employment. As the job crisis rages on, many people have been forced to leave their careers. Spending that time volunteering and being productive, rather than just waiting for lightning to strike, portrays you as an upwardly mobile and motivated individual. Many employers will admire that kind of moxie; even if you can only donate a few hours per week, staying active and productive will show that you don't simply work for the paycheck.

Volunteer Opportunities - College Applications

One of the most common reasons young people do community service and participate in volunteer work is to bolster their college applications. Similar to the resume building example listed above, having the right volunteer experiences can make you stand out in a sea of applicants. The most exclusive universities base their decisions on several factors; your academic performance (and perceived potential) is most important, but civic involvement, work history and extracurricular activities count too. Prove to your dream school that you're the well-rounded person they want as an alumnus by doing meaningful volunteer work.

Volunteer Opportunities - Building Connections

Many things in life require referrals. From jobs to college entry to adoption applications, having upstanding citizens give you a "thumbs-up" can help you get the things you want. By participating in volunteer work, you're opening yourself up to a range of people who can "vouch" for you. If you work hard and are genuinely devoted to the volunteer work you do, people will be more than happy to attest to that. You never know who the people you volunteer with will be; perhaps they'll wind up being powerful business or community connections. One friend of mine even met her husband through a volunteer experience; when hearing of her bad luck meeting a good guy, a friend she made while volunteering to cover graffiti painted on city schools set her up with a blind date. One thing led to another and they're now happily married with two kids. You never know where you'll meet helpful allies; volunteering is just one way to stack the odds in your favor.

There are even more benefits than these from participating in volunteer work. Belief in karma or the "Golden Rule" will tell you that you should behave in a way befitting the treatment you want to receive. Lending a helping hand can help you invite the right sort of opportunities to come knocking.

Seek out volunteer opportunities in your own community. Check your local newspaper, ask at hospitals and other civic landmarks, or search online.