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July 30, 2008
How to use Volunteering to Try on Potential Careers
Last week we examined various means of identifying your skills and how they can help you find a volunteer position that reflects your passions and makes use of the things you like to do, and the transferable skills you've acquired.
James Elekes' comment demonstrates how he has used a book like Richard Bolles' "What Color is Your Parachute" and other business experience to find fulfilling volunteer positions.
"I've read "Parachute" (available through Bookshare.org, NLS and Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic) many times since its first edition, every time gaining valuable knowledge and insight. I have long had a passion to observe the inner workings of government, be it on the local, State or Federal levels. As an observer, you often must take a step back, focusing on the tree rather than the entire forest. I believe in the dignity of all humanity and, expressing my opinion when unfair treatment is focused at a particular segment of the community. Professionally, I am systematic and structured when analyzing an issue.
"As a result, (my) 'Volunteer/Community Service' has focused on how to improve the service delivery to the disability community whether it be in serving on an Advisory Body, focusing efforts on expanding resources to bridge a gap in service funding or opening options for disabled individuals to participate in a heretofore unavailable experience.
"It is ironic but, I do not look at what the activity can do for me but what I can contribute to the community to make it better. To this end, it is the life experience gained that is the reward. It is this experience that fills the picture of me out and, time and time again, it is the view of the value added I can bring to a prospective employer that is that intangible that was the difference in being the successful candidate when compared to others vying for the same employment goal.
"Incidentally, my present 'Volunteer/Community Service' Project is as a Coordinator for a local grass-roots group focused on insuring that disabled community members are registered to vote in the upcoming Presidential Election and, insuring the individual has an understanding of the new voting technology purchased by the State in order they may cast their vote privately, independently and, secure in the knowledge their vote will count. Once Voter Registration is concluded, I've been asked by the group to aide in establishing transportation to/from the Polling place for Election Day."
While Jake offers this comment:
"First off I think my love of accessible computing and the fact that I am a "people person" lead me to both my past and current nonprofit jobs. At the first of these nonprofit organizations I typed out memos and various other things for the staff, and I also answered phones and would sometimes make business-related phone calls. At my current job outside the home I mainly make phone calls or answer the phone, and there is a list of people to call which I navigate with the Non-Visual Desktop Access free screen reader.
"My interest in computers is also what lead me to the volunteer job I have, where I telecommute for a local senior center.
"I had previously transcribed a book about a family friend who is a Holocaust survivor, and he paid me for it.."
Both men have seen and found a niche, utilizing their respective skills and passions to fill that niche and have been and still are active volunteers in their communities.
When you volunteer you may be able to find a way to create a niche for a project or identify a need that's come up that nobody else can fill -- maybe even create a job for yourself in the process.
Read today's eSight feature, "How to use Volunteering to Try on Potential Careers"
I recently had a conversation with a volunteer manager of a non profit organization in my region. I asked her if she thought volunteering was a way to find potential jobs and she admitted that before she had to do practicums in her social service course, she never would have thought of volunteering. Her family didn't volunteer. None of her friends volunteered. It just wasn't on her radar.
However, once she had to 'volunteer' to get experience in her chosen profession, she realized the following:
- the practicums enhanced her knowledge of her soon to be work field;
- increased her social network;
- provided job referrals;
- garnered her letters of reference and recommendation from the managers or others in the organization whom she'd volunteered with.; and
- opened her eyes to new people and new experiences.
She even decided to go back and volunteer in her spare time, after gaining her degree. She enjoyed the people and the experience that much.
She said she now looks not just at academic qualifications but also to see where and if students, who are potential job candidates or volunteers, have any community service or volunteering in their background. What kind of volunteering, where and how long they've been a volunteer.
In Ontario, students must have a minimum of 40 community service hours before they graduate from high school. So we're starting to get students in the volunteer mode early, helping them to see where they can uniquely fill a need, and what skills they've developed through volunteering which may help them find a job or start of a career.
We also have a day where parents can bring their children to work to see if they'd be interested in pursuing a similar career or job.
Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) provides another way to explore career options. On this year's Mentoring Day, October 15th you can expect to spend the day in a work situation that is compatible with your career goals.
If you have used volunteering to explore a job or investigate a career, please take a moment to share your experience.
Add your comments to this posting
Posted by Liz Seger at July 30, 2008 10:02 AM
Comments
Early in my career (and over the span of 10 years), I took the lead in publishing centennial books for two church congregations (one small and the other larger than average), and both times I felt I was way over my head.
But, both experiences taught me how to delegate, how to plan and how to work with a volunteer group of individuals who just might have very different visions of what a centennial book should be.
Those experiences prepared me for working with senior management –- and Price Waterhouse, at the time –- to plan, create and produce annual financial reports (26 in all) under strict guidelines for my employer's stockholders.
I learned how to work within an established "system" (yes, church congregations and financial auditing firms definitely have their own unique "systems") to get a job done.
It's something I had not learned in college but needed in order to work with administrative people as a communicator in the secular world.
And, through volunteering in these two church congregations, I found that I enjoyed helping make the "system" work well for everyone involved. I had found my career niche.
Posted by: Jim Hasse at July 30, 2008 11:17 AM
I have a lot of volunteer experience. I have not done too much of it lately because I devote my free time for my job search. What I do not quite understand is I met the Executive Director of an agency that provides services for the disability community (I long to return working in this capacity), and he suggested volunteering, although I have many years of professional experience in this field. Also, I asked him, how I, a person with low vision can travel to his agency where he wants me to volunteer, yet get there before they close for business, as I work in an area far from his agency. I told him I could volunteer evenings and weekends, but his staff does not usually work these times. He will get back with me.
Posted by: Scott D. Vroegindewey at July 30, 2008 05:29 PM
Like Jim Hasse, many lifeskills making me a viable candidate when considered for an Employment Opportunity, were not learned in a Collegiate classroom but, through hands-on experience in Volunteer/Community Service. It boils down to the "theoretical" is learned in the classroom while, the "practicle" lifeskills are learned through doing and, as part of the interaction with others in the community.
The additional benefit of the "practicle" is it gives one the opportunity to have concrete examples of lifeskills should a perspective employer ask, "How would you handle...". I have found a response solidly anchored in the "practicle" is more impressive than, a response based on a personal presumption on how one might handle a situation
Posted by: James J. Elekes, M.Ed, MPA, CPM at July 30, 2008 05:51 PM