Jun 01 2009
Skillect.com talk about the value of volunteering!
We all know it. The UK is in a deep recession. Many qualified and experienced people have lost their jobs.. Also there are many young people who want to get that precious first job in their chosen field. Let me suggest something which I believe can help those who are seeking work – volunteering. I have proven it for myself and believe it or not, it works.
Some of you reading this article may snigger at the thought of working without getting any pay. I understand how you feel; after all you have bills to pay and other financial commitments to honour. However from my own personal experience, volunteering can be very beneficial.My first job in IT actually came by volunteering. One very cold winter about 10 years ago, I got a call from an agency to say that they had an IT support job in the NHS. It was supposed to be a 3-month contract. The catch though was that the budget for the job hadn’t been sorted out, but they still wanted me to start. That didn’t bother me as much at the time because although I was strapped for cash, I was given the impression that the budget would be sorted and that I would be paid for the work I did. However after working at the hospital for a week or two, it became apparent to me that there was no money for the role. I had a choice to make. I could either stick it out and see what I could learn and until I got a paid position somewhere else, or I could just go back home and devote my time to finding paid employment asap. I chose the former and decided to volunteer while using the internet at the hospital to look for another job.
It was not easy and it took a lot of determination and commitment on my part. I used to get up early in the cold weather and take a bus, 4 underground trains then another bus to get to work. At the end of each week, I was only reimbursed for my travel, about £20 at the time. This went on for 3 months. I started volunteering in December of that year and was offered a paid position at the hospital in March of the following year. This happened when one of the guys I worked with quit so he could devote more time to his landscaping business! Phew! I went on stay at the hospital for 6 years. I learnt a lot and met some great people. Looking back, I am glad I decided to volunteer for those 3 months. Volunteering can be challenging from a financial point of view. However some benefits include:
· Learning relevant skills and gaining valuable day-day hands-on experience. Many industries to like when you have qualifications but in most cases a premium is put on ‘industry experience’. Employers want to know that you can do the job in the real-world, not just in theory.
· Gaining not only technical skills but also ‘soft skills’ – how to interact with different people on a professional basis i.e. customer-facing skills.
· Keeping yourself busy will help your confidence in that you will have to be disciplined to get to that role on time, meet deadlines and contribute to the company’s success even if you are not being paid.
· You will get to meet new people, some of whom may prove to be valuable contacts in your career later on in terms of finding work elsewhere, getting a reference of getting advice.
· You can negotiate with the organisation to allow you time to look for paid work while with them and possibly use their facilities (i.e. internet and telephone) to help you in your job search.
In the current climate, I know for a fact that there are many organisations – public sector and small businesses especially that are willing to take on committed and hard-working people on a voluntary basis. If you are in a position that you are seeking work right now, I would recommend offering your skills for free, even for a little while. You have nothing to lose, and potentially a lot to gain!
Please visit employersjobs.com to see if any volunteer work is available!
