Voluntary work

Why volunteer?

There are all sorts of factors that motivate people to get involved as a volunteer.

For many there is a genuine concern for the well-being of others and a belief that to get the most out of life, you need to contribute fully to society. However, there are other less obvious reasons why you might choose to volunteer and it is understandable to think about what you personally might get from this experience. Some of the benefits of volunteering include

• a chance to develop existing skills or to gain new ones
• the experience of working in a different environment
• the opportunity to learn more about yourself and your capabilities, and gain more self-confidence
• the potential for relevant vocational training which could lead to a recognised qualification
• the chance to develop your networking skills by making new friends and developing contacts
• an insight into the work of a particular sector
• the intrinsic satisfaction of contributing to something you feel is worthwhile and which will be valued
• additional material for your CV and future job applications.

According to the Institute for Volunteering Research, most OU students who volunteer gain a sense of satisfaction from their involvement, a broader experience of life, and an opportunity to meet new people and make friends.

The national charity Timebank says that many volunteers find the experience challenging, and that in itself helps them to acquire the skills to face other difficulties in their lives.

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What you can bring to voluntary work

The term ‘voluntary’ doesn’t equate to ‘optional’. If you decide to get involved as a volunteer, your reliability and commitment to the organisation you work for is crucial – people are relying on you and expect that you will take your responsibilities as an unpaid worker seriously. So be realistic about the sort of contribution you can make as a volunteer, alongside your OU study and existing work and personal commitments. Would the occasional ‘one off’ event or a short-term project best suit the time you have available, or are you able to make a regular, more long-term commitment? For the more sensitive and demanding voluntary opportunities, such as counselling, advice work or citizen advocacy, there will be a rigorous selection process that may require both references and Criminal Record Board (CRB) checks. Prior training may need to be undertaken.

A checklist of questions

Think carefully about your motivation for volunteering and what you want to gain as well as what you can offer.

• Why are you interested in volunteering? Understanding this will help you to decide what sort of work would be most likely to meet your expectations.
• Have you got specialist skills or expertise to share with others, such as website design, business acumen or event management experience? To help you reflect, try a quick audit of your skills.
• Have you got particular qualities to offer, such as
  • the ability to relate to others and empathise with them and their situation?
  • a creative approach to solving problems?
• Do you want to work
  • with a particular client group such as elderly people, children, or adults with learning difficulties?
  • in a particular field such as the environment, homelessness or adult literacy?
• How much time have you got to offer, and are you looking for a short or a longer term commitment?
• Do you need to cover your basic expenses in order for you to get involved as a volunteer?
• How far are you prepared to travel to undertake the work?

Obviously there are many choices available to you, not only in terms of the type of voluntary work which might be most appropriate for you, but also in terms of when to volunteer. If you are a current OU student, be realistic about the additional commitments you can take on. If you are planning a short break from your studies, this could be the ideal time to get involved – possibly to apply some of the knowledge you have gained from your study and to provide direction for future course choices. Alternatively, if you are about to complete your OU study, you’ll probably find that you have got more time on your hands now, so you may wish to make good use of it.

The study unit, "Using voluntary work to get ahead in the job market", available free on the Open University's OpenLearn website, contains information and activities to help you identify what type of volunteering might suit you, where to find opportunities for volunteering and how to market the skills you acquire to enhance your employability.

If you are an OU student or graduate and would like to discuss your ideas and explore options, you can contact a careers adviser at your OU regional or national centre.

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Learning from volunteering

Volunteering can be an excellent way to further your studies and enhance your career prospects. To compete effectively in the current economic climate, and to enhance your employability, it’s crucial that you can provide evidence to employers of the transferable skills you possess, many of which can be gained as a volunteer. The competencies demanded by graduate recruiters commonly include.

• people skills – teamwork, good communication, networking and empathy
• management skills – leadership, use of initiative, delegation, planning and organising
• business skills – commercial awareness and an understanding of how organisations operate.

Key questions to consider

Make time to reflect upon the experience you have gained and how it might relate to your future career plans.

• What were your responsibilities as a volunteer?
• What specific skills did you develop through this work?
• What training were you given?
• What did you learn about yourself, your capabilities and your preferences?
• What impact (if any) does this experience have on your future career plans?

Selling your experience

Think carefully about how you will ‘sell’ this experience in your CV and future application forms. Voluntary work can give you an insight into an area of work, as well as developing your skills, qualities and experience. It will help your case if you explain to a prospective employer how you have researched your career ideas and made a positive decision about your future career goals. It shows commitment, and employers are impressed by individuals who give their time to worthwhile initiatives. In addition, undertaking some voluntary work enhances your CV, gives you access to useful contacts, and helps to develop your network of contacts. It might even get you noticed by a prospective employer.

The study unit "Using voluntary work to get ahead in the job market", available free on the Open University's OpenLearn website, contains information and activities to help you identify and market skills acquired from voluntary work to enhance your employability.

If you feel you need help with your planning, try our Career Planning activity or explore the guidance in Career Progression and Development.

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How employers view voluntary work

Most employers look very favourably upon applicants who can, alongside other evidence provided in their application, show that they have worked as a volunteer. As well as indicating which organisation you volunteered with, it’s important to explain exactly what your responsibilities were, what you learnt and the skills you developed as a result. The transferable skills developed in voluntary work are applicable in most work situations.

What employers say

UK graduate recruiters explain how they view applicants who have voluntary work experience.

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How you can find out more

If you decide that volunteering is for you, how do you find out more about the available opportunities?

A good starting point is the Prospects website, which includes a comprehensive section on charities and voluntary work. Even if you are looking to work on an unpaid basis, bear in mind that the ‘not-for-profit’ sector employs over 600,000 people in the UK alone (about 2% of its overall paid workforce). The extensive work of these organisations is only made possible through the valuable contribution of its volunteers.

The Charity Job website also lists charities, non-governmental organisations, and not-for-profit sector jobs and voluntary opportunities.

The OU Careers Advisory Service provides an online vacancy service, which lists full and part-time opportunities, work experience, internships and voluntary work submitted to it. You can run searches and also, having registered, be notified by email of relevant opportunities.

Support networks in the UK

There is network of volunteer bureaux across the UK, often linked to, or part of the Council for Voluntary Service (CVS), which you can investigate further through their national association, NAVCA. It offers information on the voluntary organisations in your area and the sort of assistance they currently require. Your local public library can also provide you with details of local voluntary organisations.

Websites like Do-it allow you to search a database of voluntary opportunities on the basis of geographical location, your time availability and preferred type of activity. The areas covered include

• information and advice work
• counselling
• advocacy or campaigning work
• environmental projects or conservation
• education and literacy
• youth work
• charity fundraising
• support for vulnerable adults, for example elderly people or those with mental health issues
• international aid.

Look at the charity’s website, use your own contacts, and watch out for special events such as open evenings which a charity might organise to attract new volunteers.

Voluntary work abroad

Although these pages primarily focus on part-time volunteering in the UK, you will find links through websites such as World Wide Volunteering to projects worldwide. If you are an OU student based outside the UK and Ireland, there will be similar options open to you in your own country, and you may just need to do some searching on the internet to identify contacts. Alternatively, if you fancy taking a holiday with a difference, you will also find short-term opportunities available through the STA website, which offers a range of ‘meaningful travel projects’.

There is useful information on different types of overseas volunteering and advice on how to choose an organisation on the LSE's volunteering overseas webpage. If it is important to you that your international volunteering is of value, look at the Ethical Volunteering website which contains a guide to finding an ethical organisation, with questions to ask both them and yourself before making your choice.

Useful resources

If you want to find out more, try some of these additional resources.

• Community Service Volunteers is the UK’s largest volunteering and training organisation.
• Do-it is a national database of volunteering opportunities in the UK.
• Global Volunteer Network offers volunteer opportunities in community projects in 20 countries.
• NACRO is an independent voluntary organisation working to prevent crime. As a registered charity, it helps ex-offenders, disadvantaged people and deprived communities to build a better future. They also offer and recommend volunteering opportunities - look for details in 'Search'.
• Reach matches the skills and professional experience of people of all ages to the needs of voluntary organisations.
• The Third Sector website provides resources and information on the voluntary and not-for-profit sector. The 'Jobs' section lists voluntary and paid opportunities.
• The Rotary Foundation has 32,000 clubs in 200 countries, and they undertake projects primarily concerned with health, education and the alleviation of poverty.
• Timebank has information and opportunities for people who want to volunteer in the UK or overseas.
• Volunteer Centres Ireland is the national organisation responsible for developing volunteering in Ireland.
• Voluntary Service Overseas is an international development charity that works through volunteers.
• Volunteer Development Agency is the national volunteer centre for Northern Ireland.
• Volunteer Centre Network Scotland is Scotland's gateway to volunteering opportunities.
• Volunteering England is an independent organisation committed to supporting and enabling volunteering. The website contains information and finding volunteering roles and lists the volunteer centres in England.
• Volunteering in the Community is a website for OU staff and students about the benefits of volunteering.
• Volunteering Wales is an information and brokering service matching volunteers with organisations and groups.
• Wales Council for Voluntary Action supports the volunteering and voluntary sector in Wales.
• Worldwide Volunteering provides a searchable database of voluntary opportunities worldwide.

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