Volunteer Power

in Careers by Salie — May 7, 2011 at 6:43 am | 0 comments

Top Volunteer Experiences Employers Like to See

The job market is tough, and for people who have been unemployed for long periods of time, it can be even more challenging. You may have the experience and the education, but you are also trying to match a higher pay rate to maintain your standard of living. When you are unemployed, you spend several hours every day searching for jobs, networking, and brushing up on skills. You can also do volunteer work while unemployed to help keep your skills sharp, and to help get your résumé noticed by hiring managers. Here are some volunteer opportunities that employers like to see. Volunteer at Schools Your local school system loves volunteers, and you can easily work your time around your children’s schedule. Whether you are reading to a classroom or helping make copies, you will be fine-tuning valuable skills.

Volunteering Demonstrates:

• Your ability to multi-task

• Your patience – quite a bit of patience – as any who work in schools know

• Your high level of responsibility – after all -  you are dealing with people’s most beloved children.

• Your commitment to helping your community; this tells just what kind of person you are. We all want to work with caring people

Opportunities from Volunteering:

• You may have the chance to help with administrative duties. Hospital or Nursing Home The lonely and the sick always need a helping hand, an ear to listen, or a friendly face to brighten the day. You can bring joy to someone’s life at the same time that you are helping your career.

• Employers love medical training, so be sure to mention that you’re CPR trained and certified in First Aid.

• Leading resident activities shows that you are organized and can work with a variety of different people.

• The ability to stay within defined budgets, whether for an office project or your volunteer position coordinating craft events with the seniors, is important. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts These organizations are always looking for leaders, assistant leaders, and committee members. If your child is involved, you can easily get involved for the personal rewards, and the boost it will give your résumé.

• Trustworthy and honest, both organizations require a background check

• You quickly learn how to work with many different personalities, and their parents.

• The ability to teach a lesson, have a meeting, provide supplies, and make it fun all for the lowest possible cost shows great organizations skills.

• Both programs have certain skills that must be taught and benchmarks that should be met.

• Business people should consider positions as Treasurer and Committee Chair as these require a great deal of organization and will help you keep your skills current. Finally, consider your field of employment.

What Do You Have to Offer?

If you have years of experience in Human Resources, volunteer to help teach people interviewing skills. Accountants can offer their services to the local little league sports teams or scouts. Managers can volunteer to take their skills to the ball field or work with the local soup kitchen to make things more efficient. Regardless of what it is you want to do, there is a volunteer opportunity were you can keep your skills fresh, and make your résumé stand out more in the process.

 
Do you need a degree to sharpen your skills or resume? Choose an Online Degree Program to give you a greater edge in today’s job market.

Tags: employer job market resume volunteering