The benefits of volunteering are enormous to you, your family and your community. The right match can help you to reduce stress, make friends, reach out in the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career. Giving to others can also help protect your mental and physical health.
Volunteering can give you the opportunity to try something new, gain experience, develop skills, improve your career prospects, build confidence and meet new people. Through volunteering you can take on a challenge.
Volunteering not only enhances the above, but provides the opportunity to supercharge your existing talents. Unlike paid work, the requirements for volunteering are more likely to be linked to your passions and interests, rather than extensive work experience.
There are a huge range of skills you can acquire through volunteering, here is my top 10:
- Industry-related skills.
- Professionalism.
- The ability to work in a team.
- Leadership.
- Problem solving and adaptability.
- Communicating with clients/stakeholders and people of all ages.
- The ability to plan and prioritise work.
- Time management.
- Improved interpersonal skills.
- Work ethic.
The soft skills you learn whilst volunteering are also highly desirable to employers, so I would encourage anybody who has a passion, hobby or interest to get involved and volunteer. This really could enhance or kick start your career interests.
By Donna Vinten
Read more from Donna on how volunteering in Rounders laid the foundations for her career.
