Using Unpaid Work Experience & Volunteering To Increase Your Chances of Finding Work

With so much competition in the recruitment market and an increasing number of people applying for work you might be struggling to find work. There is the option of volunteering and this could give you a foot in the door or a head start while others remain inactive. In this blog post we look at some ways to find voluntary work that will help you gain some valuable experience as well as make vital business contacts.

The first thing you could consider is family. Working for your parents is by no means less important, in fact in some ways it can be even more challenging! Companies look favourable on any kind of work experience. You can also look further afield and consider extended family, cousins, uncles, in-laws and in fact friends of family as well. Send out some emails to inquire where your connections work, and the types of volunteer opportunities that they may be able to assist you in sourcing.  

Ideally you would like to volunteer for a business you hope to work within or at least in a sector you are interested in, but this isn’t always possible. Consider if you can gain any transferable skills or life skills that will help expand your CV.  Can you volunteer for a charity or non-profit organisation?  Opportunities of this nature can look great on your CV as you are giving something back to the community as well as developing different skills that will ultimately benefit you in your future career. There are a number of websites and organisations that can arrange this for you including http://www.do-it.org

If you know the companies or the sector you would like to work in make a list of their names. Research who is a suitable contact within the company, someone who deals with recruitment such as a HR Manager and then go directly to them either by email or letter. Outline what experience you have and that you're looking to work in their industry and are willing to volunteer for free. Make sure that if you do not get a reply within two weeks to send a follow up email with reference to your initial contact, but ensure you aren’t perceived as being too pushy.

The goal is to improve your CV, confidence and employability which any voluntary work will do.

1) Check online for volunteering opportunities or attend employment fairs at Universities as they charities will commonly attend

2) Ask other people if they have volunteered before and if so where. They might be able to help highlight a great volunteering opportunity.

3) Check out company websites directly for opportunities.

4) Search for community or charity fundraising events – these operate like mini businesses and are always looking for help.