Why Volunteering Could Accelerate Your Career

United Way for Greater Austin

If you ask us, donating time to people and organizations that need it is an invaluable way to live. Volunteering is an incredible way to give back to your community, but it benefits more than those you’re serving. You also win for having volunteer experience on your resume. Here’s how donating your time and energy to charitable causes could help you in your career.

1. You could develop important skills like leadership.

While volunteering opportunities range widely in terms of what you participate in and what you learn, you’re likely to develop skills that directly transfer to your career. In a Deloitte volunteerism survey, 92 percent of participants, who directly influence or oversee the hiring process at their companies, said that volunteering is an effective way to improve leadership skills. Eighty percent said that individuals who have volunteer experience on their resumes move more easily into leadership roles.

As for other benefits? The survey found that 85 percent of respondents believe that skills-based volunteering helps employees improve communication skills. Eighty-eight percent believe it improves strong character traits in employees and 85 percent believe it helps employees demonstrate accountability and commitment.

2. Volunteer experience could help you get noticed by potential employers and recruiters.

In a LinkedIn survey, 41 percent of hiring managers said that volunteer work  was equally as valuable as paid work experience when evaluating candidates. And in another study, 1 in 5 U.S. hiring managers reported hiring a candidate because of his or her volunteer experience.

Wikimedia

3. Your professional network could expand.

Beyond creating personal connections, you can expand your professional network through volunteering. Research confirms this, though it’s pretty obvious. You never know who you’ll meet, and the connections you develop could prove extremely valuable.

To sum it up…

Volunteering could help turn you into a world-saving career superstar. Our advice? You should volunteer your time as much as you can anyway, just to be a good human. On top of that, choose to give your time to causes or organizations that you feel particularly passionate about. You might just find that your office game is a lot stronger because of your charitable acts. It’s a win-win.