Volunteering: Win-win situation
Sometimes you are in the middle of a phase that does not look good on paper. For example, you may be in between jobs for a long time or you may be taking a break to work on yourself or your family. All situations that are perfectly normal and completely okay. But if you then want to start working for a company again in the way you once started, this can work to your disadvantage. Gaps in your CV are not very attractive to an employer and may also raise certain questions for them. To show them that you haven’t lost motivation along the way and are definitely keeping yourself busy, you could consider volunteering a few hours a week in a sector that appeals to you. In this week’s blog, we explain the benefits of taking on a volunteer role and how you can find out where your help is more than welcome.
How do you know where they need extra hands?
Finding a place where you can be a volunteer is not that difficult. Some organisations even post positions as vacancies on the internet. These are often the larger organisations or organisations that are specifically looking for volunteers with a certain experience or skill set because they work with a non-regular target group. But as a volunteer, you can quickly get to work somewhere. Even the smaller organisations often do not get through all the work and are eager for extra help without having to free up a financial budget that is actually not there at all. Think, for example, of children’s farms, small care institutions or refugee centres. There are always people and animals out there who would really appreciate your help. By simply calling or e-mailing an organisation that appeals to you personally, you will be able to get to work in no time.
Benefits that will help you in the future
Apart from the fact that you can help organisations tremendously, doing volunteer work also brings benefits to you. It is often an excellent opportunity to fill a gap in your CV and show your next employer that you have not been idle in the period when you were not in paid employment. It also shows motivation and a social attitude. Two things that weigh extremely heavily in today’s job application process. And let’s be honest. In addition to padding your CV, you can also add new qualities to it. Because in every new place where you work, you learn and experience new things that you take with you to the next workplace. So there are nothing but advantages!
Not sure what kind of volunteer work suits you?
No problem! You can sign up for volunteer work on numerous websites. During a first interview it will become clear whether it is a suitable position for you or not. In addition, it is often the municipality that handles the majority of volunteer positions. You can therefore also register with the municipality and request more information about all the possibilities that exist in your own municipality. Another option is to place a call on your own social media channels. In this you can describe yourself and your qualities and characteristics very specifically and you will actually work the other way round. Instead of looking for a job in an organisation that suits you, you offer yourself to the right person or organisation and they will find you and speak to you.
Are you inspired and do you think volunteering might be the solution for you too? Absolutely wonderful! Feel free to contact us and together we can look for a suitable place for you!
