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Disclaimer: The entries contained within the Staff Blog should not be construed as advice; it is merely for information purposes and reflects the opinions, approaches, research, and experiences of individual staff members. Students are encouraged to attend Drop-in Advising to discuss their situation with a career advisor.
Make a difference AND build your resume!
October 20 2008; revised on November 02 2008
Posted by Alexa Yarnelle, Assistant Director
So everyone's telling you that you need to get a job or internship to gain experience. But you’re thinking about the crazy course load you have this semester and you can't imagine adding 10-15 hours of work to your already full schedule. Of course you would enjoy some extra money, but the time commitment is holding you back. Maybe you’re a freshman or sophomore and you would like to have an internship, but the employers you're interested in are seeking juniors and seniors only. The job/internship thing sounds like a great idea for the summer, but what are you gonna do during the school year to gain experience and not overwhelm yourself with time commitments?
Volunteering in the local community is a wonderful way to not only gain valuable experience for your resume and future career pursuits, but also you can help out organizations in need and get that warm feeling in your heart because you’ve given selflessly to others! Speaking of resumes, keep in mind that employers are interested in the experiences you've had and the skills you've learned. Most likely, they don't care whether the experience was paid or unpaid, but rather what you can take from that experience and bring to your future place of work. When employers see that you’ve generously given your time to others, they see an individual with strong character and work ethic who is concerned with the overall well-being of society. They can also assume you have gained the valuable transferable skills they are looking for (communication, interpersonal, team work, problem solving, etc.) in candidates for their company or organization. Most volunteer opportunities will also give you specialized knowledge that could be related to your specific career goals; something that is obviously just as valuable as paid work experience. And don’t forget the value of experiential education: you can find out if you love or hate the particular career field and move on with your plans from there!
Another plus to volunteering: the time commitment is usually much smaller than a part-time job or internship. Most organizations will want you to give about 3-5 hours per week of your time, making this a great option for those with busy course loads. If you give your time by volunteering for an organization, give it your all and think about how these experiences can help your future. When an employer learns about the GREAT volunteer work you did, they will know your paid experiences will be GREAT as well!
So now you're sold on the idea … but where do you go to find a volunteer opportunity? Here are some great resources:
Local resources
- City of Bloomington Volunteer Network
- IU Bloomington Community Connection Community, Campus, National, and International Resources
- Office of Service Learning--Learn about getting academic credit for volunteering!
Other resources
Careers in volunteering
The above organizations (Peace Corps, Americorps, and Teach for America) are three examples of extremely competitive and well-respected organizations. This proves how valuable volunteer experiences are to you as an individual, and the world as a whole!
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