Written by Chelsea Cooper-Picek, Youth Employment Counsellor
“It’s not employment experience, so I shouldn’t put it on my resume, right? That is not the case! Volunteer work is vital and essential for gaining skills, experience and often brings a multitude of other benefits that can be overlooked. Whether you are looking for your first job, considering summer employment as a post-secondary student or you are looking to gain skills in a particular industry, volunteerism is a stellar opportunity to build your skills, ensure your resume stands out in a competitive job market, and can set you up for future success by building networks and interpersonal relationships. How you ask? Keep reading to find out!
Skill Development
A common misconception is that volunteer work is not relevant or as valuable as paid work experience. However, volunteering has several transferrable skills that can be added to your resume to highlight your skills and qualifications. These skills and qualifications are often built through volunteering, since we need skills and experience when applying for employment.
For example, if you are mowing lawns or shoveling snow for your neighbours, possible skills can include:
- Works well under minimal supervision
- Hardworking, courteous and professional
- Motivated and driven to get the job done
- Able to multi-task and manage time
- Capable of prioritizing tasks and working with deadlines.
With the above example in mind, you can start to see where you can adapt and transfer your skills to specific industries that require certain qualifications for employment opportunities. It’s important to be thoughtful around where you want to build your skills. Consider what your future goals are, and what positions you are currently interested in, but may not have the necessary qualifications.
- Do you want to work in a customer service position, or do you prefer behind the scenes work?
- Do you want to work with children or animals?
- Do you like to be outside and/or recreation?
- Do you like giving back to your community or a cause?
- Do you enjoy cooking?
Out of this list, does anything catch your eye, or did you notice something missing that you would be interested in exploring? Brainstorming your interests, goals, and where you want to build your skills, so your research is less overwhelming.
As a post-secondary student, it is important that you are keen in building the necessary skills for your employment goals before you graduate. Education alone is not enough to impress employers; they want to hire folks with hands on experience. Volunteering throughout the year is a strategic option to grow towards your intended career path. This tactic can also be helpful for you to get a better understanding of what your specific areas of interest are when you are entering the work force. Yes, school is busy and consuming, but there are many volunteer opportunities that do not require hours of commitment per week, or even per month.
Networking
Interacting with others is something we do every day, and we often don’t think about how impactful building relationships and connections can be with regards to our employment goals. Would you want to work with people you know and trust? Employers do too! Employers look for individuals who are skilled and qualified to do the job required, but what’s even more appealing is if they know the applicant themselves, have a recommendation from a current employee or someone they trust.
Volunteering is a fantastic way to start building your network because you will interact with a variety of different people while building relationships. When you have a familiarity with a person, it further expands your network, and you have a greater chance of accessing the opportunities that will help you achieve your goals. You never know how far connections can reach and the opportunities they could provide.
Benefits to Mental Health and Contribution to Your Community.
In 2023, TELUS Health reported that individuals who volunteer have higher mental health and optimism scores that individuals who don’t. Volunteering has shown to decrease isolation, build relationships, develop a sense of purpose and belonging, and give back to our community in a meaningful way that aligns with our values. Humans are communal by nature; we thrive when we work collectively towards a common purpose which further enriches our sense of gratitude and how we view ourselves as contributing members to society. Take some time to reflect on how your contribution can impact your community, your own journey, and even pave the way for future opportunities.
So, what now? The hope is that after reading and reflecting on this post, you will have a stronger sense of why volunteering is beneficial in a variety of ways. You can start to narrow down your search and research organizations that can assist you in reaching your goals.
Here are some websites that can help you with your search:
The City of Calgary Volunteer Opportunities
Whether you are looking at how to develop your resume, meet new people and build relationships, make plans for after post-secondary, or work towards a specific employment opportunity in the future, volunteering is a great way to reach your goals, whatever they may be.
If you have questions or wish to further develop your job search strategies, feel free to visit the Calgary Youth Employment Centre for personalized support in building your job skills!