Volunteering

Give something back to the community whilst learning new skills!

Volunteering is the way to go for those of you who want to learn new skills, explore career options or to give something back to the world around you. You might think: "Why bother?" or "What’s in it for me?" Maybe you reckon there’s nowhere in your area looking for volunteers. Think again! In this section we talk about the reasons to volunteer and how to find more information on becoming a volunteer (in your area and worldwide!).

Why volunteering?

It can be very fulfilling. You may be on a course or in a job that you feel is not totally right for you. However, for financial or other reasons, you must stick with it. Volunteering can fill in the gap, so to speak, and allow you to do more of the types of things you love. Plus, it just plain feels good to organise or support a worthy cause or issue that helps others.

It can be great craic and a personal learning experience. In fact, it can make you happier. One survey as part of National Volunteering Week found that 98% of volunteers said that ‘volunteering made them ‘a happier person'.

You get experience. This is particularly helpful if you want to get paid employment in the social/psychology sector. It is also helpful even if you want to work in a different sector completely, as employers like to see volunteering work. It shows that you are motivated by more than money.

You get to see if the career you are trying to get into actually suits you. You may think you would love working with small children/animals, but after a few days you may be desperately praying to be inflicted with a broken leg/typhoid fever/the Ebola virus just so you can escape them!

You get to make new friends. This sounds like one of those really annoying cliques, but it is actually true! The people you meet when volunteering will often be like minded people, so are more likely to be the type of people you would want as friends.

Volunteering can lead to paid employment. Many organisations have paid staff that started out as volunteers. Now obviously, you aren’t going to get paid work after you have been a volunteer for three months, but if you enjoy the volunteering and stick around, you never know where it might lead.

It helps you to develop better social and interpersonal skills. According to the 2000 Canadian National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating 79% of volunteers said that volunteering helped them with skills such as understanding others better, motivating people and dealing with difficult situations. Volunteers have also reported better communication skills.

You can always use your experience for school/college/career and it looks great on your CV.

You will often learn new skills or discover hidden talents.

Volunteering abroad allows you to learn about another culture or country by living there, instead of just getting the tourist’s view.

How do I get started?

Choose something that you’re passionate about. Ask yourself what issue or social problem motivates you. If you’re interested in the type of work you’re doing, it will be much more rewarding.

Try to take part in a volunteering activity that matches your skills and experiences. If you’re a whiz with computers for example, you could use your skills to help maintain the website of a charity or local community group.

Ask about voluntary work options in your area and keep an eye out for notices looking for volunteers. Often, your local careers office will be able to tell you what’s available. You can also use the country wide search function at volunteer.ie.

Volunteering tips

Check the time. Suss out how many hours of help you can offer per week or per month before you commit yourself. You don’t want to end up running around in circles, desperately trying to fit your volunteering into the rest of your life. So, work out beforehand how much time you have to spare.

Be polite and professional at all times. Volunteering may not be a paid, but you don’t want to throw your manners out the window either. Plus, you may want to use someone from your volunteering experience as a reference and that won’t go down well if you’re known as ‘the grumpy one’.