As well as your degree, employers are interested in your transferable and job specific skills. Volunteering offers a way of acquiring these skills and can help your job application stand out from other candidates.
Volunteering can be be a route to employment, or a way to try something which may help you choose a career. It also provides a great opportunity to give something back to the community.
Flexible Opportunities
You can volunteer from a couple of hours per month to a couple of days per week. Find out more in the Student Volunteering Handbook.
Networking
Volunteering gives you the opportunity to establish a network of contacts, as you work with and for people. These contacts may provide references, or links to future employment.
Community Benefit
Volunteering has a positive impact on your community. Many volunteers give their time in order to give something back to the community they live in or to causes they care about.
73% of employers would employ someone with volunteering experience over someone without
51% of graduates said volunteering helped them to secure employment1
Remember, when you graduate you will have a valuable qualification. If you can combine this qualification with the skills, confidence and experience needed for the career of your choice, you will be a stronger contender when applying for jobs.
Personal Development
Volunteering can help you:
Make career decisions by trying different roles
Improve your confidence
Give something back to your community
Build your self-esteem
Find out what you’re passionate about
As a volunteer, doing a valuable job in a real workplace can help you see yourself as a professional, and give you extra confidence which you can carry forward into your graduate career.
Quality of Life
Volunteering gives you chance to:
Join in activities you really enjoy
Get to know your local community
Make new friends
The ‘feelgood factor’ – knowing you’re helping other people
Have fun
Volunteering isn’t all about improving your career prospects – it’s also about enjoying yourself! You might want to volunteer in a role that’s not related to your studies at all, simply because it’s something you love. Volunteering is a great way to get involved in university life and the local community, and to make friends who share your interests.
1Research by Reeds Recruitment agency for the charity Timebank
As well as your degree, employers are interested in your transferable and job specific skills. Volunteering offers a way of acquiring these skills and can help your job application stand out from other candidates.
