How to Make the Most of your Volunteering

Lucy Hawkins, Careers Adviser

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Learning Outcomes

• Identifying goals for volunteering• Knowledge and confidence in achieving goals• Knowledge of practical ways to use

volunteering as evidence for career interest• Motivation to use and retain contacts from

volunteering• Planning strategies to build occupational

knowledge• Understanding the benefit of reflection

Strategy

Setting goals

Achieving goals

Reflecting

Goals for volunteering

Try our worksheet:

What are/were your

goals?

Goals for volunteering

Write a different goal

on each SMART goals – about you

Skill acquisition Evidencing your career interests

Building sector knowledge

Networkinga

section

Put each

Goals for volunteering

Making a difference

post-it on

Achieving goals

There’s some that you’ll achieve as part of volunteering...

... but we’re focusing on what you can do to make the most of your experience PROACTIVELY

Skills acquisition ideas

Skill acquisition

• Clarifying expectations• Making a case for training

in-role• Offering independent

study, shadowing• Suggesting discussion on

improving your work• Showing interest, building

on aptitude

Networking ideas

Networking

• Information interviews• Retaining contacts• Events and conferences• Introductions and referrals• Offering specific support

(e.g. recommending The Student Consultancy)

Ideas for building sector knowledge

Sector knowledge

• Shadowing outside your role• Recommended reads

(trade press, regulation, research etc.)

• Seeking mentoring• Asking questions• Mapping information

(org charts, accounts)

Making a difference

• Sharing evaluation ideas• Exploring spin-out projects• Exploring ‘cascading’ knowledge• Spreading the word• Enabling future volunteers• Considering efficiency

Evidencing career interest

• LinkedIn.com• Featuring volunteering on your CV• Using volunteering in application

forms, e.g. competency questions• Recording your experience, e.g.

blogs, social media

LinkedIn.com

• Volunteering section• And/or in main

‘experience’• Recommendations

and ‘connection’ only active for main experience or education sections

LinkedIn.com

• Groups – join or start• Summary text = SEO

CVs and volunteering

Skill acquisition Evidencing your career interests

Building your sector knowledge

Networking

• Use headings to place information where you need it

• Don’t ‘downgrade’ voluntary work!

• Highlight skills developed, achievements, responsibilities

• Use size, scale, scope

Application Forms

• Keep an eye on their criteria, e.g.

• Think about STAR responses...

Knowledge of our workDelivers resultsShows leadership potentialEnthusiastic team memberAbility to solve problemsAwareness of organisational needAdaptable to unfamiliar environmentsTakes initiative

Competency question

Situation

Task

Actions

Result

“ ”Describe a time when you had to adapt to work successfully with a new team of people.

Competency question

Situation

Task

Actions

Result

Volunteering work, brief description of team

What was ‘working successfully’ – what was the goal?

Self-awareness Understanding

others

Positive – even if indirectly!

HumilityCompromise Learning

Results-focus Motivation Contribution

“ ”Describe a time when you had to adapt to work successfully with a new team of people.

Blogs / Articles

Offer a blog/article• do-it.org.uk/magazine/blogs• sector blog, trade press, student

papersCreate your own• beckyinauchindrain.wordpress.comStart up a group effort• leadershipvolunteering.wordpress.com

Other social media

Same ideas, different medium:1. Offer a contribution2. Create your own channel3. Create a group channel

On...

Reflecting

Try our worksheet:

Reflection serves a further goal: helping you with career decision

making

Taking action

Decision making

Self awareness Occupational awareness

Reflecting

What key factors do you know now?

What do you know now about yourself?

What do you know now about what’s out there?

www.careers.ox.ac.uk/careersbeyondprofit 01865 274646

reception@careers.ox.ac.uk

Q&A#careersbeyondprofit