Volunteering & What It Can Do For You!

Is Becoming A Volunteer Right For YOU? Do you want a job but don’t have any work experience? Do you need to learn additional skills to get a job? Do you want to find out what the work world is like before you commit to a job? To help answer these questions, you may decide to apply for a volunteer position in your school or community!

How Does Volunteering Benefit Me? Volunteering benefits you by providing an opportunity to: Get work experience to place on your applications and resume Learn new skills Meet new people who may know of good job openings before they are advertised to others Try out a career that interests you Demonstrate to potential employees that you are a good worker Improve your confidence that you can succeed in the work world!

What Does It take To Be A Volunteer? The desire to care about something The power to turn that care into action The personal control to follow through on your assignment!

How Do I Select The Volunteer Position That Fits My Personality? Before you accept a volunteer position, ask yourself these questions: Does this volunteer position match my interests and values? Am I comfortable with the people I will be helping and working with? Will I be able to learn new skills? Is the volunteer position in a location that is convenient for me? Is there opportunities for advancement or paid employment? If I do a good job, will the supervisor allow me to use him or her as a reference on a future job application? If I do a good job, will I be able to ask for a letter of recommendation from my supervisor?

How Do I Leave A Volunteer Position? Give two weeks notice to your supervisor as you would for a paid job. The notice may be verbal (spoken) or in writing Thank your supervisor for the opportunity to learn new skills and gain work experience Ask your supervisor for a letter of recommendation to help you with your resume and future job applications

Should I Document The Volunteer Experience? YES!!!!! List: Job title for your volunteer position Your supervisor’s name and job title Description of the tasks you did List of the equipment you used including names of computer programs and any skills you learned Description of what was accomplished when you were there

Will A Volunteer Position Look Good On My Application Or Resume? YES!!!!! Proves that: You are mature enough to help others You manage your time well You can successfully work with other people You have skills that are useful in the work world

Today’s Assignment Complete a 150 word essay explaining what types of volunteer positions you may be interested in obtaining in the future. Give reasons for selecting these particular jobs.