How do I get into Volunteering?

Many people already have a clear vision of how they want to get into volunteering and have a defined plan of what they want to achieve and how they intend to achieve it. For others however, they might remain very committed to the idea of volunteering but may not know exactly what they want to do or how to make sure they find an opportunity that specifically suits them. Here is some advice if you don’t know where to start, which will be useful before you even make any direct approaches for volunteer work.

Consider the Implications

Whilst it is quite possible to combine volunteer work with other commitments in your life, it is necessary to think things through first. You’ll need to establish how much time you plan on giving and at what time of the day you can do that. You’ll also need to find out about things like travel expenses, whether or not the company or organisation will provide insurance cover for you and there might also be implications surrounding any state benefits you might be in receipt of so do check that out too with your local benefits office.

What can you Offer?

A good way of determining the kind of work you might wish to get involved in is to make an honest appraisal of the types of skills and personal qualities you possess and how they might be transferred to the voluntary sector. Although a commitment to and enthusiasm for a particular cause are the most highly sought after qualities by any voluntary organisation along with an understanding, patient and cheerful approach to your work, there may be specific skills and knowledge you have that might be more relevant to a particular organisation, which will be invaluable to them and will help you get more out of the experience too.

You’ll also want to establish what’s in it for you too and there is another article about the benefits of volunteering and what you might be looking to get out of it in another article contained within this website. This will also help you make the most of your voluntary experience as it’s clearly a two-way deal here – i.e. you must be able to take something out of the experience as well as giving to it if your time as a volunteer is going to be a happy and productive period.

Look at the Costs Involved

If you plan on volunteering close to home, you’ll have few, if any, expenses to consider. However, if you plan on helping out in a residential capacity or even thinking about volunteering overseas, many organisations will require you to pay something towards the cost of giving you food and shelter and, if overseas, you may be required to subsidise your travel costs too. No matter how noble a cause you may be passionate about helping with, it’s important that you’re not out of pocket to any great extent so be sure to do your homework first.

Making an Approach

Once you’ve done all of your research and decided which voluntary organisation is right for you and where you wish to work, the usual approach is to send a letter or e-mail attaching your CV, unless you are asked to complete an application form. The important thing to remember is to treat your letter and CV or application form in much the same way as you would if you were applying for a paid job.

In other words, although voluntary bodies are often crying out for volunteers, they can still be choosy and will only want to take on volunteers if they’ve demonstrated some degree of commitment to their cause and can also indicate certain skills and personal qualities that will be of benefit to the organisation concerned. Therefore, it’s crucial to remember to approach them with the same degree of professionalism, even if you are going to be giving up some of your time without a wage in return. After all, this is what the spirit of volunteering is all about.