Looking to find your perfect job but don’t have the relevant experience to find it? This is where volunteering can help you out. As a volunteer in Western Australia, you could work with various organisations and people in the community without expecting payment. This can be a great personal investment and may help you land your dream job!
Why Volunteer?
Volunteering can boost your career in many ways. Some of the top reasons you should volunteer include gaining; job experience, new skills, a network of contacts, self-confidence and making your resume look great.
Gain Experience
Employers look for relevant work experience while scanning potential employees. Your volunteer experience demonstrates you are committed and reliable and can complete tasks on time. This experience also shows you are a good team player and meet your commitments. If you do volunteer work in your field of future work, it will also give you industry experience.
Get New Skills
As a volunteer, you will get opportunities to improve and learn new skills. For example, you may get a chance to improve your communication skills and customer service skills. You may even learn to work on various computer programs or acquire marketing skills.
Volunteering while you are employed can help you enhance your current skills. For instance, you can improve your people skills by volunteering at a local event or festival.
Knowing your skill level before you volunteer is important because certain volunteer roles may require more advanced skills than you currently have. Ideally, look for volunteering opportunities that help you improve your skills and help you with the next stage of your career.
Opportunities to Expand Your Network
Volunteering is a great way to build a robust network of industry contacts. As you start volunteer work, you will get to meet new people. Maintain a list of people you meet during your regular tasks. This can include clients, suppliers, company directors, local staff, and fellow volunteers. You never know when and how these contacts can help you.
Find the Right Career Direction
Whether you are starting your first job or want a career change, volunteering offers opportunities to explore different industries. Knowing about an industry’s roles and responsibilities will help you determine what jobs you are interested in.
Make Your Resume Look Great
Volunteer work looks great on a resume. If you can volunteer in an organisation related to the industry you want to work in, this will provide you with industry experience. Industry experience is what employers want, and it will make your resume and application stand out.
Employers often also look for candidates who are community-minded, and volunteering is a perfect way to demonstrate this.
Boost Your Confidence
Lack of confidence is very common among young people and those who have been unemployed for a long time. It is also natural to feel discouraged or disheartened when you have been unsuccessful at past job interviews. This is where volunteering can help you out. Volunteering will assist you in staying active, productive and confident.
Get to Know Yourself Better
A high self-awareness level is the basis for achieving a successful career. If you have an idea of what job role you are interested in, you can start working as a volunteer in that field to discover if you enjoy the industry.
Volunteering can also help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. It can help you focus your training on areas that you need to work on.
Determine Career Goals
Once you have found a career you are interested in, the next step is understanding what training you need for that role. You can start a vocational education course aligned with that career, which will prepare you with the knowledge required for the role and job-ready skills.
Volunteering is a win-win situation. You will receive work experience whilst also helping your community. Combining experience with vocational education is a winning formula. Employers want to know that you also have job-ready skills, which you will acquire from a vocational education course.
To find out more about Insight Training’s courses, click here. Or if you prefer to speak to a Course Advisor, call us on 1300 046 744.
