What’s so good about volunteering? It is not just a stepping stone to a great career in non-profit it’s also a valuable cornerstone of charity work. Working without expecting something in return is a selfless act of charity, especially if it contributes to the development of a community.
But if you’re a recent graduate who’s new to the job market, yearning for experience and great career opportunities ahead, is volunteering a viable option? Volunteering can actually help boost your CV and land you amazing job opportunities afterward. However, is it actually worth it?
Why volunteer at a charity organisation?
Volunteering isn’t driven by money or personal gain money. It can inspire a a greater sense of self and a better understanding of the world. You’ll learn more about your community, meet amazing people and develop valuable skills you can take with you when you transition into the working world. It allows you to take an active role in society,providing assistance for marginalised people and gives you the opportunity to gain real-world experience in something you’re passionate about.
There are many ways that volunteering can help better prepare you for the working world and many reasons why you should opt for a non-profit career. Here are a few ways fresh graduates like you can actively take part in making a change:
1. Providing Comfort and Support
Despite so many hardships people are facing, it’s always good to feel that someone lends a helping hand. This makes people hope for the best and not drown in despair. Through volunteering for a charity, you can take part in comforting and providing support for these people, even if for a short period of time.
2. Teaching People to Create a Home
There’s nothing more rewarding than imparting knowledge to people, especially for a greater cause. By volunteering through charitable institutions, you can visit communities and teach them how to create a home. This knowledge gained from you is something that they will remember and apply in their daily lives. That thought alone means that you’ll be forever part of their lives. Think of volunteering as founding a community. As a community founder, you can educate these communities and help them develop.
3. Filling the gaps
Most volunteers spend time in orphanages, which need volunteers throughout the year. They need extra hands to help them fill in the gaps. Children in orphanages and the elderly in nursing homes need love and affection. By extending a helping hand, you can fill that void in those people’s lives.
4. Helping a community function
Being at the cornerstone of the community, volunteers play a huge role in a functioning society. Volunteers who work with charity institutions that build houses are a key part of actually completing these houses. These volunteers are the backbone of these organizations which will not function without their support and time.
5. Making little things count
Even small actions make a difference. Time and effort are all they need. When you complete a task, it can make a huge impact when you look at it from a big picture perspective. Simple things such as picking up the trash in the community and donating books to the public library are great efforts to help those in need.
6. Saving lives
Volunteers abroad, especially those in the medical field, often find themselves saving lives. But even those volunteers who work for teen rehabilitation centers do so as well. Most of these children lose the will to live. By showing up and letting them know you care, you give them hope. Providing them with safety, water, food, and other vital items can be enough to protect them from health hazards. Through these acts, you are saving lives.
7. Making dreams come true
Most people who are beneficiaries of charity institutions gain skills and lifelong learning from volunteers. You as a volunteer help them achieve their goals and aspirations. You help make their dreams come true by teaching them how to dream.
8. Developing the community
Charitable institutions host various projects for community development. These projects will not materialize without the efforts of the volunteers.
9. Creating Homes
As a volunteer, you can build houses, create homes, provide clean water, and do other maintenance jobs for communities. These efforts all in all sum up to one giant aim: to build decent homes for those without one.
Starting a non-profit career can be daunting
Young people are often faced with the challenge of proving themselves in the corporate arena – you may want to start your career working for a regular 9-5 job, report to a boss, and eventually step up the career ladder. But most of the time, you may neglect that building a career also involves building your persona.
Volunteering is a great way to build your persona and prepare yourself in the future. There is no guarantee that you will be rich, but you will be able to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect with people, help them, and in the process, discover yourself.
About Fazreen Razeek
Fazreen Razeek from Edarabia.com has served the education industry for over 5 years. He collaborates and works alongside education-marketing agencies, event organizers, and educational Institutions ranging from nurseries, schools, and universities to develop and execute their marketing strategies. He is extremely passionate about education technology and also writes for various local and international publications. A graduate with High Distinction from the Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia, Fazreen holds a Bachelor’s Degree with a double major in Marketing & Management.
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