As a recruiter, those are the three things I look for in a potential candidate:
- Does this person want to work here for the right reasons? I don’t just want somebody who is looking for a job – I want someone who wants the job because it’s his or hers dream job.
- Does this person have the experience and background that will add value to this role? That doesn’t mean he or she is currently doing the same sort of role. For this particular role, I wanted someone who was a little ‘green’ and didn’t have that much experience, but rather someone who knew the basics and that I could coach and develop.
- Does this person volunteer?
The first bit is wholly situational. You should only ever apply for a job you actually want and your dream job is not always advertised so patience is a good virtue. The second point is wholly about me – what I want as a hiring manager will be completely different to what Laura from Payroll would want as a hiring manager. The third though, is something that is wholly about you and it is something that you should be doing right now.
The benefits of volunteering are pretty much as never-ending as the Keeping Up With The Kardashians franchise is long. It is surprisingly great for your health (*throws away paleo cookbook*) because it strengthens your immune system and increases your overall satisfaction, you get to change people’s lives for the better, it provides a wheatgrass-style boost to your self-confidence, and you can meet new people who may just become your new Pilates bestie.
To me, somebody who has good volunteering experience on their resume demonstrates 5 things about them that I love:
- This person practices work/life integration
Work/life integration is when you understand that the job you get paid for isn’t everything. At the company I work for, we are big believers in ensuring you give just as much effort and commitment to your roles outside of work. Somebody who volunteers shows me that they make time and give their effort to something in their personal life that they are passionate about, which is an invaluable quality.
- This person is committed to something
Volunteering requires commitment. When you sign up to be a volunteer for something, you are committing yourself to showing up and doing a damn good job of whatever it is you may be doing. If you can commit yourself to that then that shows me you will commit yourself to doing the same damn good job at my organisation.
- This person is authentic
To me, somebody who volunteers demonstrates that they are capable of doing something for reasons other than money or Instagram likes. This helps to add a real depth and dimension to someone, and it shows me that this person is genuine about doing something they believe in. This is an attribute that can be a very valuable asset to an organisation.
- This person has developed new skills
Different people bring different skills to the table. People who volunteer often have more diverse and interesting skills than those who don’t because a lot of volunteering opportunities involve extensive training outside of the volunteer’s normal skillset, many of which are transferable into other aspects of your life (such as your job). This helps to shape and develop somebody into a more-rounded person, and ultimately a more attractive job candidate.
- This person has stronger networks
When you volunteer, you have the opportunity to meet new people. In doing so, you build your professional and personal networks. This is great because you gain access to new information and different ways of thinking. Somebody who can sit across from me in an interview and talk to me about all the different ways they look at something is somebody that I would very much want in my team.
I hear you, “Hey Aaron – this is all great and everything, but how do I become a volunteer?” Well young Jedi, you would be surprised at how easy it is. Volunteering comes in many different forms, whether it’s corporate, community or personal.
Corporate volunteering is gaining a lot of momentum in organisations. This is where the organisation that you work at gives you time to go and volunteer. Big companies such as NAB, Telstra, EY and Deloitte have all partnered with various not-for-profit organisations where you go with your team to go and help out. Ask your HR department about what sort of volunteering opportunities your company offers.
Community volunteering focuses on giving back to (you guessed it) your community! This is usually coordinated through your local council, and lots of charities and organisations will post volunteering opportunities through them. There will be an opportunity that suits pretty much everyone, ranging in time commitment from a couple of hours to entire weekends. Activities can involve everything from managing social media accounts to coordinating events to sorting clothes for the local op-shop.
Personal volunteering is where you go and seek out something that suits you personally. A lot of volunteers choose to do something that is close to their heart, that allows them to give back to something they care about, or that will help them to build and develop specific skills. This can look like a lot of things, such as mentoring at-risk youths or providing friendship and company to people in nursing homes who might not have families or even writing articles for the FYA website.
There is literally no excuse for you not to be a volunteer. Find something that you are passionate about, that fits in with your study and work schedule, and that you get a lot of personal satisfaction from. It will boost your health (literally, Google it), gives back to society, introduce you to new and interesting people, and even help you get a job. So go on, open a new tab and start looking!
More information:
Volunteering Australia: http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/
Seek Volunteering: https://www.volunteer.com.au/
GoVolunteer: https://govolunteer.com.au/
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