How to get a job by volunteering

August 5, 3:30 PMSF Job Search ExaminerMegan Pittsley

I
tell my clients all the time that volunteering in the right capacity
will get you working faster. Some scoff that they don't have enough
time because they are too busy searching for work. Some say that it
doesn't really work. Some believe that volunteering for their local Job
Club is enough. I say: you're wrong, and I'll prove it.

  The benefits of volunteering for your job search are endless:

• Prevents a gap from growing on your resume


• Provides extensive networking opportunities


• Supplies you with fresh professional references


• Updates your skills and teaches you new ones


• Helps your community and shows your compassionate side


• Gives you confidence in your abilities


• Allows you to gain experience in a new field, function, or industry

 From
the employer's perspective, it shows that you are a go-getter who will
do whatever it takes to succeed, that you're self-motivated and kind,
and that you are really passionate about what you do. All are desirable
qualities in an employee. The
closer that your volunteer experience resembles the work you do (or
want to do) the better of an experience it will provide you. You don't
have to stick to just one opportunity or make a huge time
commitment. Giving 2 or 3 organizations a couple of hours a week only
adds up to 4 to 6 hours weekly that you'll be spending, and it is well
worth the investment. Even a few hours a month can make an impact. I
asked around for people who have made this strategy work for them, and
stories came pouring in immediately. Here are several examples of
real-life stories on why volunteering works!  

BOUNCE BACK FROM TIME OFF Nina Greenwood
took 3 years off from her career to focus on family and to re-evaluate
her career, and then began looking for contract positions. "I was
officially considered unemployed by some or a stay at home mom by
others," she says. Through the Taproot Foundation
an organization that places professionals on volunteer consulting teams
to handle projects pro-bono for non-profits, she ended up as Marketing
Manager on a project to develop an annual report for Brighter Beginnings. She
got to work alongside the Executive Director of the organization, and a
couple of months later she was asked to join the company as their
Marketing Manager, with the bonus of having a flexible schedule and the
ability to work from home! Nina says, "I jumped at the opportunity
because I was already sold on the value of the organization, liked the
people, and the working conditions were great. Definitely a win-win." 

Bonnie Johnson was
laid off in February for a period of 5 months, during which time she
jumped into further service with We Care Foundation, a charity she had
been on the Board of Directors for. She volunteered more heavily there,
joined other volunteer groups, went to every networking & major
social event in town, was selected to lobby her local state congress
for one of her organizations, and joined every committee she was asked
to. The network she cultivated grew exponentially and led to her being
hired in July as Community Relations for Seven Hills Behavioral Institute
whose Director was a major supporter of the charities she volunteered
with. Bonnie says, "I was in my first round interview before he even
looked at my resume. In my interview I barely talked about previous
jobs. Instead it focused on my experience in the last 5 months of
serving more hands on with the charity I serve on the board of,
networking, lobbying, etc."

WIN NEW CLIENTS & CONTRACTS 

 Joyce Friel started her own organizational development consulting practice, Peak Performance Consulting,
in 2003 and gained one of her major clients by giving away $10,000
worth of organizational assessment services for the President of a
large nonprofit foundation. They have now hired her on every year since
then. Joyce says, "I have well over a 90% return on that investment not
to mention the other referrals the other members of his staff have
provided and the lifelong friendships it is yielding. It all boils down
to relationships, high quality service and knowledgeable work." 

Christopher Francis began New Focal Media,
 a video production company, when he moved to San Diego from
Indianapolis. He recently volunteered his video services to create a
micro-documentary to raise awareness about a local homeless outreach in
San Diego for a church ministry. The church liked the video so much
that they've since hired him to create 6 more videos for them and
continue to call him every week with a new paid job. Chris states,
"Doing strategic volunteer work has been a large part of making
connections that has lead to paid work. I've always thought that the
best way to get hired to do the work you love is to do it for free in
exchange for complete creative control. That way if people like it and
connect with your vision, they will hire you to be yourself instead of
someone trying to fulfill a job description."  

LAND A JOB 

Renee Brown was unemployed after a contract assignment ended in March when she scoped out her local Craigslist volunteer
section, and found that her old high school was recruiting volunteers
to assist in its big homecoming event. She joined on and became an
instant contributor, so much so that they hired her as a temporary
Alumni Consultant in April and she is still working there today. 

Kristofer "Luke" Bolz got
a speeding ticket which landed him 23 hours of community service, and
he decided to work it off running the front desk at his local Red Cross
office because he thought it would be quick and easy. He says, "After a
week or so, I really started paying attention to the stories people
were telling me, and the lives that were being changed all around me. 

I
literally fell in love with the organization, and started volunteering
80 hours a week or more (while going to school full time) because I
knew I was making a difference." When a resignation came in for
Director of Volunteer Services, Luke was the first to apply. He's now
the Director of Volunteer Services for the Greater Ozarks Chapter of
the American Red Cross. Many
people aren't aware of it, but when I moved to California from
Massachusetts I got my first job here as a Job Center Manager because I
walked into my local library and asked if I could volunteer to provide
career advising services. Interestingly enough, they had a position
open for months that was a perfect fit for me, and I got the job. I may
have never known about it if I didn't ask to volunteer!  

Interested in volunteering?

Try these resources:

Taproot Foundation

Volunteer Center of the East Bay

Volunteer Match

Idealist

Network for Good