The Role of Volunteer Work in Career Development

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Volunteering helps your community. It can also help your career. The skills you build, the people you meet, and the initiative you show all translate into job-market value.

Employers notice volunteer experience. In Deloitte’s 2016 Impact Survey of hiring influencers, 82 percent said they were more likely to choose a candidate with volunteering experience on a resume. The same survey found that 92 percent believed volunteering is an effective way to gain leadership skills, and 92 percent said it expands an employee’s professional skill set. Those numbers reflect a simple truth: volunteer work shows drive, and drive predicts performance.

Volunteering builds transferable skills. Leading a fundraiser teaches project management. Tutoring teaches communication. Organizing volunteers teaches teamwork and conflict resolution. These are the same skills employers list in job postings, and you can describe them with concrete examples in interviews.

It also builds your network. Volunteers come from many industries and roles. Working alongside them creates relationships that job boards cannot. Many people find mentors, references, and job leads through volunteer connections.

Be strategic about it. Choose causes connected to your career interests so the skills overlap. A future marketer can run social media for a nonprofit. A future accountant can help with a charity’s books. Track what you do and what results you achieved, the same way you would for paid work. Then put it on your resume. List the organization, your role, and two or three concrete accomplishments.

Time is the main barrier. Start small: a few hours a month counts. Virtual volunteering has made it easier to contribute from anywhere, on your own schedule. The habit matters more than the hours. For related ideas, see the value of volunteer experience for students, gaining experience through internships and volunteering, and virtual volunteering from anywhere.

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