Volunteering. Why it’s important and the benefits it has on the community and your career.

Thursday, 5 December 2019

In the spirit of International Volunteer Day today, we thought we would put together a list of all the fantastic benefits of volunteering and why you should volunteer within your local community!

It’s a great way to give something back to your local community.

Volunteering is a great way to give something back to the community. It’s the perfect opportunity to meet and gain connections with those within your chosen industry and can connect you with others to make the community a better place. Helping with the smallest of tasks can have an impact on something or someone.

You can make new friends and contacts.

It’s the perfect place to network! You will meet people with similar interests as you and a networking opportunity might just turn into a friendship!

How can volunteering help with networking?
Well, volunteering give you the opportunity to put your name and face out in a specific industry. Whether you’re just starting out in a career, or thinking of changing industries, volunteering will provide you with a platform to learn skills you will need and gain a basic understanding of an area you are thinking of creating a career in without making a long term commitment. Volunteering also give you the chance to speak to others in the industry, ask them questions about their job, how they got there and what it’s actually like.

Volunteering increases self-confidence.

While volunteering, you are doing something worthwhile for yourself and the community, thus providing you with a sense of accomplishment. It can also give you an insight to your future goals which can take the stress out of some aspects of like.

It’s the perfect opportunity to gain new skills.
Volunteering gives you the chance to gain new skills within a specific industry, or even enhance on the skills you have already. Additionally, many volunteering opportunities offer extensive training, so if you’re unsure if you have the skills required, contact them and talk it through.

What kind of work can you volunteer for?
Volunteering can include various different types of work, it’s not just the typical visiting a retirement home or picking up rubbish type thing that you see on the movies - although, if that interest you then go ahead and do those activities- volunteering can include working with animals at a pet rescue clinic, assisting in the setup of events within the community, tutoring, gardening or even give you the opportunity to go overseas and experience a different culture.

 How to find the right volunteering opportunity.

There are numerous websites that can show you the volunteering opportunities within your state or local area. We’ve listed a few below to help you out!

Go volunteer 

Australian Volunteers 

Conservation volunteers Australia 

Or check out your local councils website to see if they have any opportunities available.

We hope this article motivates you to get out there and volunteer within your community! For more about International Volunteer Day visit their website here.