Which came first, the job or the experience? It’s a conundrum recent graduates are all too familiar with, as they find themselves applying for countless roles, only to be told they don’t have enough experience. But with the application-to-job ratio now on the rise by 84% this year — they’re now facing another problem, fierce competition.

So how are you supposed to stand out for the crowd when you’ve got limited experiences? The simple answer…volunteering.

But volunteering is so much more than a career gateway, it comes with some other great advantages too — making it a must for any student or recent graduate, particularly in the current climate.

We caught up with our Careers Adviser, Alasdair McMillan, who shared some great insights into why volunteering is so important, and how you can find the perfect opportunities.

It looks great on your CV

Let’s start with the more obvious one.

Volunteering acts as evidence of your skills and experiences, thus strengthening your CV/application.

In the same way you would use citations to evidence the points you make in your academic work, you must use examples to back up your skills on your CV.

Now you might be thinking, why volunteer when I can complete an internship or get a part-time job, and get paid whilst gaining these experiences and skills. But opportunities are becoming harder to come by as employers begin to shift their priorities, and the recruitment process can often be lengthy.

Volunteering gives you a quick gateway to gain some experience, and you can continue to look for paid opportunities in the interim.

But principally, volunteering also adds an additional element to your CV that an internship or job doesn’t — it demonstrates that your drive and motivations go beyond a salary.

As a volunteer, you’ve taken the time out of your busy schedule to help a good cause and develop your skills, for free. This demonstrates to an employer your commitment, selflessness, and proactiveness — all well sought after traits.

It’s great for your mental health

There is so much evidence out there that proves the mental health benefits of volunteering.

Helping other people can actually cause changes in the brain linked with happiness. It can also help to reduce feelings of isolation and provides new opportunities to make friends.

With the additional stressors that COVID-19 has presented to many of us over these last few months — volunteering is a perfect opportunity to help your own wellbeing, whilst also helping others.

It gives you the opportunity to try something new

Volunteering is a fantastic way to get a sense of what doing something is actually like. Use the opportunity to consider whether you enjoyed it, what elements you enjoyed, what you didn’t enjoy and why you didn’t enjoy it. All these questions are a great way to work out what you’re good at, what motivates you, areas you need to improve, or whether you want to pursue an alternative path.

One of the best ways to learn about something is to do it.

For example, we recently spoke with a graduate who had always wanted to be a Primary School Teacher and pursued a degree in Education. After their first year studying, they spent the summer vacation volunteering abroad where they taught English as a foreign language. They quickly learned that teaching, in fact, wasn’t the right fit for them. But the experience helped them to realise their strengths, motivations and weaknesses. As a consequence, they went on to change their degree course to Political Science and now work as a civil servant.

Finding the right opportunity

Alike many others, the charity sector has faced some significant challenges due to COVID-19, however, there are still lots of ways to get involved. Websites such as do.it.org or vinspired.com are great places to look for volunteering opportunities, particularly ones you can do from home. You can also log in to Careers Connect to see what opportunities have been advertised for our students and graduates, or speak to a careers adviser if you’re struggling with where to start.

Or why not try the COVID-19 Mutual Aid website, which allows you to connect with groups in your local area.

Useful Resources

Alasdair picked out some great resources for anyone considering volunteering, but do speak to one of us at Careers Network if you have any questions or just need to talk things through.

· Volunteering — Prospects.ac.uk

· How to volunteer safely — Volunteering Matters

· Volunteer placements, rights and expenses — GOV.UK

· Altruism and mental health — Mental Health Foundation

· Practical ways to help older people — AGE UK