How Volunteering Helps Your Career

Ever wondered why people choose to volunteer or thought about it for yourself but didn’t know where to start? Whether it’s a desire to make a difference in the world and connect with something that aligns to your personal values, or to experience broader social connections, people around the world have many different reasons for volunteering. 

One of the common motivations in volunteerism is enhancing professional careers.  Volunteering can bring numerous benefits to your career, let’s take a look at some of the benefits which will help to kick-start or grow your career development.

• Skill Development: Volunteering allows you to gain and enhance various skills that can be valuable in your professional life. Depending on the type of volunteer work you do, you can enhance your leadership, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, project management, and organisation. These skills can be transferable and applicable to many different career paths.
• Networking Opportunities: Volunteering provides a platform to expand your professional network. You can connect with like-minded individuals, professionals, and potential mentors who share similar interests or work in fields related to your activities. These connections can open doors to new job opportunities, career advice, and valuable recommendations.
• Increased Visibility: Volunteering can help you become more visible within your community or industry. By actively participating in volunteer work, you can establish a positive reputation, demonstrate your dedication and commitment, and showcase your skills and abilities. This visibility can increase your professional credibility and attract attention from potential employers or collaborators.
• Professional Experience: Volunteering allows you to gain practical insights and fill gaps in your professional resume. If you are transitioning into a new field or looking to gain experience in a specific area, volunteering can provide you with hands-on opportunities to learn and apply your knowledge. This way you can strengthen your resume and make yourself a more competitive candidate in the job market.
• Demonstrating Values and Commitment: Volunteering showcases your commitment to social responsibility and community engagement. Many companies value individuals who actively contribute to society and demonstrate a genuine interest in making a positive impact. By volunteering, you can demonstrate your values, ethics, and dedication, which can be attractive qualities to potential employers.
• Exploring New Interests and Industries: Volunteering offers the opportunity to explore new interests and industries outside of your regular professional domain. It can help you gain exposure to different fields, causes, and organisations, allowing you to expand your knowledge and potentially discover new career paths or passions.

Before deciding on which volunteer opportunity is right for you, it’s important to think about which ones align with your interests and goals. By selecting meaningful projects, you can maximise the impact of your volunteer work and enhance its relevance to your professional development.

At Health and Help, we provide care for patients living in places where it is difficult or impossible to get medical care and welcome every nationality, faith and sexual orientation, regardless of their ability to pay for it.
Whether it’s online, in Guatemala, or in Nicaragua, we are saving lives every day and we couldn’t do the work we to do without our volunteers. If you’d like to join us on our mission, you can learn more about our volunteer opportunities here.