Why Volunteer?: The Numerous Rewards Associated with Volunteering

Recently, I got a job - one that requires me to work with children. There are a number of reasons why my employers may have hired me, but as soon as I sat down for my interview, I knew that what would impress my interviewer was the extensive volunteer work I had done with children in the past.  During the interview for my position, she even pointed it out to me, and I feel like I owe my job to the time I spent giving back to the community.

That brings us to the first reason why you should volunteer:

#1 It can help you get a job, or even a career: As my own story shows, volunteering can be influential in deciding whether or not you “get the job.” However, it could also act as a gateway to your career – either by allowing you to find out what you would like to do in the future, OR after volunteering, you may even find that you end up wanting to work in the non-profit sector.

*For more information in working in the not-for-profit sector be sure to check out the Not-for-Profit Sector Panel occurring Wednesday, February 6, 2013, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.. You’ll discover how you can make a career in this field and hear from professionals already working for not-for-profit organizations.

#2 Grad School Applications: That’s right! Volunteering IS seen as important for entry into many graduate school programs, and in some cases it is even a requirement. This includes entry into medical school, nursing, and teaching programs. The more experience you have, the more impressive you’ll look – so you may as well start building up your volunteer hours and references now!

#3 You Can Meet New People: It’s never a bad thing to grow your circle of friends or your circle of contacts, and volunteering is a great way to get your name out there.

#4 You’re Giving Back: Perhaps you don’t need volunteer experience, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it! There are tons of organizations that significantly help out our community and they simply need people to help out in any way that they can! It’s important to remember that as a member of society you play a role in helping your community grow and volunteering is a perfect way to do this.

Kerri is currently in her second year at SFU and working toward her degree in Business. Through her posts on the ENGAGE blog she hopes to inspire other students to take initiative and become engaged, both at SFU and within their communities.