[dropcap2]V[/dropcap2]olunteering no longer carries the glamour it once had as fewer and fewer people volunteer. Juggling between work, academics and social obligations in today’s modern society might make it seem like it is impossible to find time to volunteer. However, there are important health benefits that come from volunteering like reduced stress levels, strengthened immune system, and an overall increase in your life satisfaction. This is because helping someone else interrupts tension-producing patterns and replaces it with a sense of purpose, positive emotions and high confidence levels.
However, you do not have to take a break of your life and relocate to Nanyuki for 2 weeks and volunteer, though if you can find the time, please go ahead and do. You can volunteer with the local charity group when they visit the local children’s home on a Sunday afternoon. Or better yet, you can volunteer your leadership skills to the local chamaa which meets once a month and implement the changes you always envision would work. Point is, you only need to volunteer as much time as you have, if you can afford one day in a month, or a day in six months, everyone can give as much as they have.
Volunteer during your youth
For students especially, college life is about gaining knowledge and experience. And a good time to consider doing some meaningful volunteering work is during your student years. While studying and hanging out with friends may take up a lot of your time, making time to volunteer can add value to your university experience. You can benefit a lot from volunteering and it’s a great start to finding an opportunity that’s right for you.
For anyone entering the job market for the first time, the term volunteering is not new. For ambitious young marketers, voluntary work can be a key ingredient in the recipe for leadership. After all, leadership skills are amongst the most sought professional abilities in the modern world. Therefore, it will not hurt if you got out of your couch and did something nice for the community. Voluntary work has the ability to grow one’s leadership capabilities.
In our minds, we often think that volunteering is a thing reserved for those people in search of more meaning in their lives. However, volunteering is an excellent way to prepare for a senior executive position. Even the greatest leaders we see today begun at humble grounds to hone their supervisory and leadership experience that eventually led them to the plum positions they sit on today. Here are some of our top picks of why you should consider volunteering at some point of your life:
1. Volunteering as an opportunity to make a difference
Volunteering has been proven to provide the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing something great and being involved in the community. Some volunteers have even reported that volunteering boosts self-confidence and self-esteem because making the world a better place adds a sense of accomplishment.
2. Volunteering helps you get out of your comfort zone
Normal employment sometimes makes employees feel that they are stuck in a routine. This in turns drives most of them to a comfort zone. Volunteering can allow one to practice skills in a relatively risk-free environment. Volunteer work allows people to flex their skills and keep them fresh.
3. Volunteering and networking opportunities
Networking is one of the most effective strategies to advance one’s career. Volunteer groups or clubs can help you develop lifelong personal and professional relationships that will help you hear about job openings and develop great references. Connecting with others also enables self-reflection regarding leadership traits.
4.Volunteering builds confidence and passion
Since giving is the core of volunteer work does not mean that you don’t stand to gain anything. Volunteers work in a different environment and under a different set of rules making it easier to explore and expand your horizons. Volunteer work gives a person a different perspective, which in turn gives him or her confidence in ideas.
5.Volunteering gives you visibility
You cannot be wrong by believing that some people have met with their perfect opportunities while volunteering. Frequent volunteering can make you be seen as someone who wants to get things done. This can play a crucial role in sourcing more opportunities for your career and is a remarkable opportunity to spruce up your CV.
5.Volunteering creates leaders
The biggest advantage of frequent volunteering is that you get to learn by watching from the best. One is able to identify the qualities that he or she most admires and develop them personally. In addition, volunteer groups respond more to leadership rather than management, which helps in developing leadership potential.
Everyone’s life is a wonderful journey and no one knows where it shall lead. Volunteering can make your life diverse and help you make a plan and actively build skills to enhance your professional life. It is completely free as a commitment of time and a little energy is all you need.