Thinking about a career change? Volunteering can be a great way to try before you buy

Don’t discount the value of volunteer work and outside interests in your career strategy.

I’ve seen clients make BIG career shifts off the back of the skills and experience they gained through volunteer work. If you’re thinking about a career change, volunteering can be a great way to try before you buy.

It can also help give you exposure to areas of work which you aren’t particularly experienced in, that might be causing you to miss out on your ideal next job.

If you’ve been out of the workforce for a while, volunteer work can be a great way to keep your skillset up to date and make sure you have recent examples to highlight at interview.

Volunteering at an organisation you’d be interested to work at can be fantastic for getting a foot in the door and making yourself known.

Over the past 20 or so years here are some of the volunteer positions I’ve held:

🗣 Mentor for teenagers as part of an initiative to reduce youth offending.

🚓 Appropriate adult and support person at police stations for young offenders, in the absence of a parent or guardian. 

⚖ Volunteer at a law centre helping refugees and asylum seekers.

🏫 Caseworker for a human rights organisation supporting British nationals overseas on death row.

👶 Board member at the kids’ daycare.

🎓 I’m currently the School Council President at my daughter’s primary school, which I find both challenging and rewarding. The school benefits from my expertise in stakeholder engagement, facilitation and lobbying, and I’ve expanded my knowledge of risk, governance and financial management.

My daughter is so proud of me, and my kids are learning the importance of community and service to others. She often tells me “there’s a letter in my bag but you don’t need to read it because I know you wrote it!”

If you’re wondering what type of volunteer work could best support your career goals, or would like some advice on how to showcase the experience on your CV, I’m happy to chat.  

#careeradvice #careercoaching #careeradvice #careercoachingforwomen