Volunteering: When helping others helps yourself

When college students hear the phrase, “the career fair is quickly approaching” it can be quite frightening. First you have to research the businesses you’d like to speak with. After that, you realize you left your only pair of dress pants at home. To top it all off, you haven’t updated your resume in quite some time.

The reality is you really need an internship this summer and maybe have even started looking into full-time job opportunities. As tempting as it may be, skipping the career fair simply isn’t an option.

It’s time to update your resume and make yourself stand apart. Yes, your GPA and job experiences will certainly impact the strength of your resume, but what else? Many students have overlapping GPAs and many have multiple internships and job experiences on their resume, so you wonder how you can make yourself stick out.

Volunteer. One simple word that can make you unique. Searching for the perfect career after college can be difficult because many jobs require x years of experience. I firmly believe in three main reasons why volunteering will expand the value of your resume.

Shows your passion

There’s a reason behind every volunteer experience. Chances are you are giving back to an organization that has had a personal impact on your life. With that being said, not everyone is able to give back and show their passion for organizations they support. Many people want to make a difference, but not everyone puts forth the effort to make a difference. Find your passion and move forward with it. 

Increases skill sets

Individuals tend to volunteer for organizations in which they can apply talents and skills they already possess. If you’re a graphic design major, you may donate your time back to a non-profit by assisting with their promotional materials. If you’re studying to become a special education teacher, you may donate your time back by volunteering with the Special Olympics. The opportunities are endless. Generally, people don’t realize they can actually make a difference and help others while doing things they're great at. In addition, people who volunteer also tend to adapt new skills and find talents they didn’t know they had.

Demonstrates motivation

Being motivated to make a difference means you’re going to be motivated in your career. Everyone wants to be motivated, but many people have a hard time getting there. By showing you consistently donate your time volunteering, you are proving to your employer that you will also be motivated in your profession.  

Volunteering may start with the idea of helping others, but before you know it you may end up helping yourself more than you ever imagined.