Need relevant work experience in your industry? Need a boost on your resume? Need to build your soft skills? Need to show employers that you are the right person for the job? Then volunteer! Volunteering is an excellent way to cultivate your skills, gain experience and give yourself a resume boost.By volunteering in your work industry or the industry you want to work in, you gain professional work experience. You will gain the necessary experience to put on a resume and industry knowledge that will help you during interviews and on the job. Employers will see that you know the industry’s inner workings, showing how ready you are for the job.It’s a great way to gain experience to add to your resume. Volunteering helps to create a positive impression, making you look innovative and creative. Also, you gain a range of useful skills. All are important aspects that recruiters seek.
In an Adweek article about the State of Recruitment in 2015, through a Jobvite survey, they found that recruiters rank volunteer participation higher than personal presentation, and spelling and grammar errors when looking at a candidate’s social media. By volunteering, you learn an array of soft skills. Soft skills such as communication, teamwork, collaboration and conflict resolution appeal to employers since they display that you are able to work effectively in a group setting. People take courses and seek mentors to gain these skills, but you can easily gain them through volunteering.The best place to find volunteer opportunities is in your community. We encourage you to seek out such amazing experiences. Moorelands is always looking for volunteers to aid in our various departments.
Written by Vimbai Chikoore
What a great article. I teach ESL to adults and do a lesson on the importance of volunteering for them and their children as well. I also stress the importance of soft skills.