Job Advice Blog

It’s tough to find work—we know. You’ve tried job search engines, sent out dozens of resumes, even called your grandparents to see if they need their yard mowed. And the longer it takes to find that new job, the worse it’ll look to future employers, which just adds to the stress. Nobody likes long gaps in resumes. But worry not! There are ways to show potential employers that you’re putting in effort besides a 9-5 desk job. One of the best we’ve found is to volunteer.
Working for free might seem counterproductive—after all, you’re trying to make money, not impress that girl from your freshman chemistry class. However, volunteering is productive in a lot of ways.
For instance, it’s a perfect way to bulk up your resume. If you’re sitting in an interview and a future employer sees a six-month blank on your CV, they might wonder where all your time went. If they see six months of helping out at a vet clinic or six months of campaigning for a local environmental organization, they’ll wonder why they didn’t hire this fine upstanding citizen before.
Don’t just take any volunteer job, though—clean highways for six months and you may get some probing questions about when exactly your parole ends. Try to find a job that fits your interests and skills. If you do, it’s even possible the company you volunteered for will hire you on as a permanent employee! This is especially common with smaller companies who need all the help they can get—if you prove that you can do the work and help them out, you’ll be worth the cost of hiring you.
Additionally, volunteering gives you plenty of opportunities to broaden your network and skill set. Even just getting outside is great—sitting at home emailing out resumes all day can be both discouraging and unhealthy! If your volunteer work is something active, like cleaning up the banks of a nearby river or going door to door for a political campaign, you’ll be getting on your feet and doing your body a favor. And no matter what the work, your fellow volunteers all have stories, so get to know them! Who knows where your next job lead will come from? Ask your co-volunteers for ideas and ask your supervisors for letters of recommendation—getting a good review at a volunteer position shows commitment to your community and dedication to doing good.
The warm, fuzzy feeling you get from helping out is pretty great, but volunteering is more than just a good deed. It could be your ticket to the job you’ve always wanted, but never quite had the resume to get. By searching for other ways to apply your talents, you’ll be helping everyone—yourself, your resume, even your future employers by showing them how valuable you are!
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and volunteer!