With summer coming up and school wrapping up, many of us will have much more time. What to do with all this extra time? Volunteer.
Volunteering Benefits
- Volunteering gives youth an opportunity to explore possible career options, and see if it is a field they would like. For instance, if a student is thinking about becoming a teacher, volunteering with children is an excellent way to explore their career choice. This also will help them later when they are applying to a Teacher’s College Program, because they would have had experience. Many University Programs and scholarships are based on experience, and if youth start now, they will gain alot of knowledge and experience.
- Community hours – you need to complete your mandatory 40 hours for highschool, but going beyond these hours will help when you apply for scholarships; for example, the recipients who applied for Top Talents, we looked at how their volunteer experience has helped their personal growth, and many of the applicants mentioned volunteering gave them a sense of purpose and they felt good they were helping out and doing something good
- Networking– through volunteering, many students may find good positions of paid employment, and volunteering allows potential employers to see your talents. Also, these is a good chance to network with students in programs your hoping to study, because you find a mentor and role model. For example, with our Canadian Tamil Film Festival, volunteers have an opportunity to network with those in the film industry and make connections that will assist their own projects and careers.
- You gain skills you cannot gain elsewhere; it’s one thing to read a book and learn, and it’s another to actually do. Many of the volunteers of CTYA had to learn time management and writing skills; these are skills that can be developed through volunteering. We call these skills transferable skills, and these skills are what employers are looking for.
- Time management: Many universities suggest students volunteer or work 10-15 hours a week in order for them to learn time management, because they have to plan out their days in order to successfully accomplish their work, the students learn how to manage their time, and what they should prioritize. These skills cannot be learned from going to school alone, volunteering and work is key.
- You’re making a difference not only to your community and othe rindividuals, but volunteering gives you personal satisfaction and a sense of belonging. People who volunteer are happier, and appreciate things better, so volunteer!
Tags: Workaholics
