Here are five reasons highlighting the importance of volunteering as a college student and how it can benefit you
Give back to your community
College is a time to make connections with your peers, your mentors, and the people that make up your community. One way to strengthen these connections is through work that makes an impact and does good for others.
Find local organizations or volunteering events that are important to you and your community. Strengthening your local community is a great way to ensure there are future opportunities for you and others in your community.
Boost your resume
Volunteer work shows future employers that you are willing to participate in a community and give back. Oftentimes, hiring teams will take note of any volunteer work listed on a resume and will center interview questions around it. They are looking for your reasons for volunteering, the skills you strengthened, and how it might impact your ability to meet the responsibilities of the role they are hiring for.
It’s a great idea to practice answering potential interview questions centered around volunteering. You can prepare for these questions by listing out your reasons for volunteering, the impact your volunteer work has had on you, and how you will bring your new skills to a future job.
Make local connections
If you are volunteering locally, you have the chance to meet new people in your community and grow your network. One of the best ways to find future opportunities for career growth is through the network you have built for yourself.
Reach out to your college’s Career Development office to find ways you can get involved both around campus and in your greater local community. Don’t forget to use your networking skills while you are actively volunteering; make connections with people and find ways to connect with them outside of your volunteer work, too, such as LinkedIn or Handshake.
Foster personal development
Aside from helping others, volunteer work is a great way to help yourself, too. Regularly participating in volunteer work can help to develop character-building skills like leadership, flexibility, perseverance, and more.
Look for volunteer opportunities that challenge you and inspire growth. Don’t be afraid to try new things and to take charge, growing your abilities and your confidence in the process. Try finding opportunities that align with skills you want to strengthen and skills you’ll need for your future career field.
Learn new skills
Finding different organizations to volunteer your time to is a great way to learn new skills or sharpen the ones you already have. Take a chance on opportunities outside of your wheelhouse and explore different career fields through volunteering.
Make a list of careers that interest you and research volunteer opportunities that match your desired field. Maybe you want to learn how a nonprofit organization is run, or how a local small business operates in their day-to-day. The opportunities are endless when it comes to offering free help in exchange for hands-on experience.