Understanding how volunteering can benefit your community might be obvious, but seeing how volunteering can improve one's career can be a little harder to see. From my own experiences, here are 4 professional benefits worth considering:
Understanding how volunteering can benefit your community might be obvious, but seeing how volunteering can improve one's career can be a little harder to see. From my own experiences, here are 4 professional benefits worth considering:
When you volunteer, you’re exposing yourself to entirely new opportunities that have the potential to speak to you in ways that your current career might not. This may open your eyes to something that may be a better fit and provide you with the final push needed to take that step. As an example, I was previously working in asset management and volunteering at a hospital in my spare time. Today, I’m enrolled in a post-baccalaureate premedical program and taking the classes needed for medical school!
Additionally, you may be exposed to a way of performing a task that might be beneficial to your company or coworkers. Working with non-profits often gets people thinking about problems in an entirely new way. Often times, these new methods can be used to resolve issues in a completely different industry.
Meeting new people in your community can be extremely beneficial to your career. You could meet someone who is at a company you are interested in working for, or someone in a completely different field that you might have been considering. Either way, you’re building connections with folks who share your passion for supporting a cause you care about. This may be helpful down the line in establishing work relationships or breaking the ice during an interview. Plus, who doesn't like making new friends!?
Volunteering is good for the soul, it can help you feel happier and mentally healthier. While it’s important to make the needs of the people you’re serving the priority, it’s perfectly okay to take some enjoyment and pride from your volunteering. When you take time out of your life to give back, happiness is sure to follow and will likely reflect on your performance at work. Nobody wants to work with a grouch, so your colleagues and bosses will certainly appreciate a brighter and happier you in the office.
Your personal brand influences how you display yourself and how you want to be remembered when you walk out of a room. Volunteering in your local community can only add to your value as an individual. If you volunteer, especially with colleagues, you can be thought of as someone who enjoys spending their free time helping other people. This can make you more memorable and improve your image in the eyes of your co-workers and superiors.
If you’d like to volunteer in your community but are worried that you don’t have the time, it’s worth remembering that you are doing yourself a lot of good by helping others. And if you’re unsure where to get started, download our app. You can browse numerous volunteer opportunities and find a cause that matters to you.
So go out and get involved! Invite your colleagues and bosses and explain to them how much of an impact volunteering can have on those you’re serving. I guarantee you’ll be a happier, healthier, and a more fulfilled person, all of which can only help drive your career forward!
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