Maybe it has never appealed to you, or you don’t know enough about it. Here’s why you should get involved, with some examples of the benefits of volunteering.
Volunteering is one of the best ways to express your passions whilst giving back to your community. The 9-5 routine or endless uni work can be a bit grinding sometimes, so spice things up a bit by spending your evenings or weekends doing something a little different.
What Can I Do?
That’s the beauty of volunteering – anything! I’ve talked about my experience volunteering at WMC and how that keeps me involved in theatre, but the opportunities are endless! Gardening, social care, food – there’s something out there for everyone. Just google ‘volunteering near me’ and hundreds of results will come up. If nothing takes your fancy, reach out! Drop an email or pop into your local food bank, beach committee, or cafe and ask! You might find they’re grateful for a bit of free work and offer you something. You really don’t know unless you ask.
What’s In It For Me?
Although volunteering is a pretty selfless deed, we all have our limits. That’s why it’s important to pick something you’re passionate about! That way you can stay committed while still enjoying your time. There’s nothing worse than constantly clock-watching or having regretted signing up. But, if you love what you’re doing, it may not feel like a task at all.
It also looks amazing on a CV. If you haven’t got enough experience in your dream role yet, then volunteering is a really great step in the right direction. It shows your commitment to that area and that you’ve gone out of your way to get your foot in the door. Employers are usually impressed to see volunteering on a CV, even if it’s something not related to the job! Volunteering shows passion and loyalty – and that’s a great feature in any employee.
I Don’t Have The Time
This is a really common problem, and it’s completely understandable. Trying to juggle university, work and social life is hard enough at the best of times, let alone throwing something else in the mix. That’s why it’s important to find something that works for you. Be realistic about how much time you could offer; this doesn’t have to be the same amount all the time. I recently had to drop out of a volunteering session because I had to prioritise work and uni, and that’s completely okay. Even committing an hour every week, every two weeks will make a difference. Plus, if it’s something you really enjoy, you’ll find yourself making time without thinking about it.
Volunteering is one of the best decisions I made, and it can be for you if you give it a go. Find that one passion that you never have enough time for and find a volunteering scheme for it. I promise you won’t regret it. These are just some of the benefits of volunteering but there are probably even more that are unique to you.