The current recession has turned almost all of us into career counselors for our family, friends, and even the person sitting next to us on the train as we go to work. Those of us who are employed, and those of us in the employment industry, are particularly sought after as those who are less fortunate than us justifiably see us as being important points of contact in their search for a new job.
One of the most common questions that I’m getting asked these days from college students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry-level jobs is how to get an internship or entry-level job if they don’t have any experience and they’re hearing from every employer that they don’t have enough experience. The answer: volunteer.
That’s right, volunteering some of your time to a favorite non-profit or even a small business is a great way to find a new job. How? Well, let’s say that you’re an accounting major who has not yet completed a good accounting-related internship. Volunteer to do the books or taxes for one or more non-profits or small businesses. You’ll find plenty of eager takers especially now with money being so tight for so many. In addition to getting the great experience that employers so crave, you’ll also be in a great position to meet more of those employers.
When you volunteer for non-profits, be sure to network with the members of the committees and boards as the people who serve on those groups tend to be movers and shakers in the community. Many will be businesses owners, executives or managers and will either be interested in hiring you to work for their organizations or will likely know vendors, clients, or even competitors who could benefit from your skills.
I recognize that most unemployed people do not have the funds to volunteer all the time. They need to spend most of their time searching for work. But virtually all who are unemployed can spend 30 to 40 hours per week searching for a job by networking, pounding the pavement, and applying to advertised jobs and spend an additional four to eight hours per week volunteering.
And if you volunteer your time in a thoughtful manner by networking with members of the committees and boards, you’ll almost certainly find that great new job a lot faster than those who just sit at home all day applying to jobs which are advertised on-line.
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February 19th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Good article, Steve!
I think this is a great way to begin learning how to network.
February 19th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Good Advice. Volunteering not only creates networking opportunities and a great way to gain valuable experience, it also allows you to shift the focus off yourself for a while, important I believe in this challenging economy where there is so much fear and panic around. Helping others can be very personally rewarding and helps builds self confidence which will naturally help you in your job search.
February 19th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Plus volunteering is good for the soul. Great suggestions, Steve.
February 19th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I’m so glad you brought this up. Volunteering is also a good way to explain the ‘gap’ that may appear between graduation and that first job.
Describing what you learned volunteering is a good way to present your skills in a job interview when without that experience you would have been left with nothing to say.
February 20th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Awesome post, Steve, and very sage advice. I have given similar to friends of mine whose children are out of college and out of work. The first reaction is “huh? why would that work?” but when they decide to go and volunteer they are not only amazed at the number of people who they can network with and learn more about certain industries, they feel good about themselves. There are, afterall, people out there who are much less fortunate that we are even if we are the unemployed.
Thank you for this post.
Linda
February 21st, 2009 at 12:47 pm
I agree with this post! It is better to do something rather than nothing. Therefore, if all you can get in this economy are volunteer opportunities, it is worth it.
February 21st, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Volunteering is a great way how to enhance your own experience and to put some new things on your resume, but it can be hard to find a volunteering possibility in the area you need.
But mentally, volunteering can help a lot.
February 26th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Steve, great post. We’ve worked with City Year in Philadelphia, where you give a year of service to your community for a very small stipend and room and board – typically done after college but before entering the working world – I’ve met some impressive human beings who are involved with this organization. Check it out at http://www.cityyear.com.
March 10th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Thank you for sharing such an informative article. It’s nice to have great ideas just like what I’ve read in http://www.integritycareertransitions.com/blog/
Keep it up!