Many people look at Volunteering as a way for them to help other people and whilst this is of course true, by undertaking voluntary work, you can actually help yourself a lot too – it can improve your overall employability no end. Here are 5 Ways that Volunteer Work can Enhance your Employability.

Networking

One of the main benefits of volunteering is that it can provide you with an excellent way of developing your professional and personal networks. You could engage and connect with people who you may otherwise never have had the opportunity to meet. These connections could lead to other valuable introductions and potentially to other paid employment opportunities, so make the most of any networking opportunities that arise in any voluntary work that you undertake.

Skills Development

Volunteering can of course help you to strengthen and develop your existing skills by allowing you to keep ‘your hand in’ as it were. If you aren’t getting the opportunity to use the skills that you have, chances are that you may in turn find that they are not as honed as they once were – volunteering can certainly remedy that. Of course volunteering can also help you develop and learn new skills – skills that perhaps in your career to date you have not had the opportunity to acquire or develop.

Get new experiences

If you’ve always worked in the one market sector, volunteering can be an excellent way for you to get new experiences and diversify your skillset. For example, if your work has always been in a rather solitary occupation, you could embark on a volunteering role which would strengthen your team working skills. It can also be the perfect way for you to explore new career areas without any other commitment. You may discover that your true forte is in an area that you may not have previously considered. Embrace volunteering and the new experiences it offers – who knows where they could lead.

Fills the Gaps

If you’re ‘between jobs’ or simply struggling to secure any type or paid employment, volunteering can be one of the best ways to spend your time. Not only will you be filling the gaps on your CV, but you will also be showing prospective employers that you are keen to be kept busy – that you want to contribute to society and do something worthwhile. A CV without any real gaps certainly would indicate a more employable candidate to most prospective employers and recruiters.

Reignites your passion

If you’ve been feeling that your career is in a bit of a rut or that you no longer have a real passion for your chosen career path, then volunteering can certainly help you out. By providing you with new experiences, it can help you re-focus and re-ignite passion for your work. You may perhaps find that it spurs you on to pursue an entirely new career path. Your career priorities could change –  if, for example, you are volunteering in the community or charity sector, you may find that the rewards are so great that you no longer feel motivated by traditional corporate goals.

We hope that by highlighting 5 Ways that Volunteering can Enhance your Employability, we’re helping out just a little. Got any other tips you’d like to share? Why not let us know via the comments section below.