Here’s why you should consider volunteering as a student and how you can get involved:
Why do voluntary work?
You’ll be giving back
Doing voluntary work is a great way of giving back. You’ll be completing unpaid work for a firm or charity you truly believe in and wish to help. In exchange, you’ll be given great work and life experience. It’s a truly rewarding experience having the opportunity to positively impact your community.
Meeting new people
This one might seem obvious when starting a new job but meeting new people will be one of the best things to take away from voluntary work! You’ll be meeting plenty of like-minded people who also love giving back and who want to experience something in the same industry as you! If you’re volunteering to test out a career, you can establish links with people already in the industry which could help you massively after you’ve graduated!
Stand out from the crowd!
Being able to put voluntary work on your CV when it comes to eventually looking for a paid role somewhere will help make you stand out from the crowd, showing the sort of person you are that likes to give back! Unpaid work also shows your commitment and dedication to learning new skills.
Test out a career
There are probably lots of different roles and routes you could go down after you’ve completed your studies. Volunteering gives you an opportunity to try out these roles before you make your mind up on what you’ll want to do. This will give you real-world experience in your chosen career.
Have fun
At the end of the day, volunteering is what you make it – it should be something you enjoy doing and allows you to feel a sense of pride. Voluntary work will help to take your mind off lectures and the stresses of everyday uni life.
How you can gain voluntary work:
Ask your university about any events happening
There will be many events held throughout the year on your university campus! There will be things like open days, freshers’ events and so much more. It might be worth asking your university if there are any opportunities for you to volunteer at these events and ensure that they run smoothly! It may also be worth speaking to your student’s union for longer-term voluntary work on campus.
Visit your local charity shop
Charity shops are almost always looking for volunteers to help run the shops! Pop in to see if they have any vacancies to offer or ask how often they take on new volunteers.
Call around
Working towards a degree in primary education? Why not ask a local guides/scouting group to see if you can volunteer there? Studying for a degree in sports? Contact your local sports club to see if there are any voluntary opportunities there! If you’re looking to volunteer in a specific industry, then calling businesses may be your best option!
Happy volunteering! For more articles like this, take a look at our blog
