4 WAYS TO JUMPSTART YOUR CAREER: Volunteer

New Post! Jump Start Your Career: Volunteer
Find out what you get back from giving back — you might be surprised to discover how much volunteering can help you land the job you want!

Everyone has the same problem starting out — you’re young, you’ve been in school, and you don’t have a ton of work experience.

But there is a way to get that experience, even if you aren’t getting paid for it: by volunteering. As a bonus, you can do some good in your community or a cause important to you at the same time.

Here’s why volunteering is so great:

It helps you expand your personal and professional network. People volunteer at all stages of their career, so you may find yourself working alongside a potential mentor or someone you can job shadow.

• You can learn more about your field. Volunteering isn’t the same as being a full-time employee, but there are aspects of your future career you can get a feel for in your volunteer role.
• You learn new skills. Volunteering is the perfect opportunity to learn something new, on your own or alongside someone more experienced. You’ll also learn valuable transferable skills, like collaboration and time management.
• You’ll stand out. The experience you get volunteering may not be paid, but it’s experience, and in a sea of new graduates that definitely counts for something. Volunteering also shows you’re committed to learning new skills, which is something every employer wants to see. And they’ll understand right away that you’re committed to making the world a better place

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Now that you understand that benefits, choose a cause that’s close to your heart and search out opportunities in your area. Take a look at your school, local chapters of national organizations, or non-profits in your community. You’ll be surprised how many opportunities are out there.

Next up in the series: we’ll look at how you can assess your skills and embrace the “confidence code.”

Got any pressing career questions? Ask Arlena is here to help. Email your questions to [email protected] and Arlena will expertly address your questions in our segment, Ask Arlena!

Take a look at the rest of this series for the other ways to jump start your career. Like what you see? Become an Elevation Ally subscriber and receive exclusive news, insight and tips.