I Want to Work in ..... Voluntary Work

 

Through volunteering, you can enhance your CV, develop new skills, and make new friends.
According to a Time Bank/Reed survey of 200 leading UK businesses:

A Student Volunteering Survey found that students gained the following from volunteering

Here are some quotes from the survey work experience

 

Volunteering is an excellent way of gaining career-related experience. Organisations offer opportunities to work with disadvantaged or disabled people, children or the elderly, in the UK and abroad. Charities use volunteers in office administration, fundraising, public relations and research: good experience for careers with these organisations or elsewhere in the public sector or business.

There are about 22 million volunteers in the UK. Voluntary work will improve your skills, boost your confidence, help you make new friends and give you a lift knowing that you are helping others worse off then yourself. Helping others is a good way to help yourself. Research showed that volunteering for a good cause can increase our happiness as much as if we doubled our income. The more voluntary work volunteers did the happier they got and they were also less prone to depression and physically healthier.

Voluntary work is not just available in the "voluntary sector". If you hope to work in the media, work placements with commercial employers such as local newspapers and radio stations are usually unpaid, but are an excellent way of building up skills and experience that will give you a head start in this fiercely competitive business.

A survey by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations found that working as a volunteer was second only to dance as the biggest source of enjoyment.

"Experience in a charity shop is absolutely considered valuable experience and this would be taken into account."

Graduate Retail Recruiters Forum

The same principle applies to advertising, publishing, political research, etc.: use professional directories such as the Hollis Press and PR Yearbook for contact addresses.

Volunteering in Kent

Volunteering elsewhere in the UK

General sites:

Volunteer organisations:

Residential and gap year volunteering:

You don’t need to go abroad for your gap year! Volunteers in the UK support offenders, young people in need and adults with learning difficulties, as well as helping people with physical disabilities lead more independent lives. Not only is the need to pay for this once-in-a-lifetime experience removed, but volunteers are entitled to free accommodation, food and pocket money. See www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/jun/10/find-work-volunteer for an article on this.

Volunteering Abroad:

Volunteering that doesn't cost a fortune!

Do you want to volunteer abroad but can’t afford to pay thousands of pounds to do so?
Many organisations charge four-figure sums to arrange a volunteer placement. Below, we list some that offer similar placements for a more manageable cost. This does not necessarily mean that the quality of your experience on the placement will be lower – these organisations cut costs by working directly with the project organisers and cutting out the “middle man”. These projects will normally require you to cover your own travel and insurance costs.

 

Please note that the above links do not imply any recommendation of any organisation and you are recommended to investigate all opportunities carefully before applying.

Before you commit yourself, make sure you know all about the project. Questions you might want to ask include:

Further information and links can be found at:

"If you want to feel good, do good! An effective cure for unhappiness is to help others."

Volunteering in Specialised Areas

Last fully updated 2012