According to a LinkedIn article I recently read, people who volunteer are 27% more likely to get a job than people who don’t. That’s a pretty big difference.
My volunteer experience didn’t work out as well as I would have liked… but if I had to do it over, I would definitely look for more volunteer opportunities.
Aside from increasing your likelihood of getting a job (because of the networking you are doing), volunteering gets you out of the house, and doing something productive. This has to be a good way to keep your attitude in check.
Are you volunteering? If not, why not??
Hi Jason,
I have been volunteering for the last few months and have definitely benefited from networking, working with others, learning new skills and accomplishing goals. My attitude has been positive and I have received a lot of great feedback and appreciation. Next step – moving on to paid projects. But I feel much more confident finding opportunities with people who know me and have seen my work. Instead of asking for a job and a paycheck, I am offering my expertise to solve problems. It’s a different conversation.
Great post!
Kim
That’s great Kim – thanks for sharing! I see six solid benefits you listed in your comment… any of those alone are worth the effort to volunteer… but six! Awesome 🙂
Volunteering has really helped me gain footing. I live in New Jersey and work in NYC. I’ve been wanting to work closer to home, but of my 500+ LinkedIn connections, I’ve been unable to find common networks outside New York. Since I’ve been volunteering at the local animal shelter, I am able to get out of the house, meet people with common interests, and connect with volunteers who work at companies I am interested in. I’ve also been able to identify problems within the shelter’s culture and help them increase communication, improve their marketing, and consult on training volunteers to run adoption events, all which have made me feel more accomplished, keep my foot in the game, and increase my job skills.
Did I mention that I get to play with puppies and kittens, too?