Volunteering can help you find jobs

One of the most difficult aspects of being unemployed is the time spent cooling your heels. If you’re used to working, sitting around the house waiting for someone to call you about a job can drive you nuts.

But what if there were a way to keep busy, make valuable contacts and even help your fellow man? There is, and it’s called volunteering.

Volunteering can give you those important contacts you need in a world where it’s often not what you know, but who you know that helps you get a job.

When you’re considering volunteer work, think about what skills you have that would be valuable and what abilities you might like to acquire.

For example, say you’re a marketing whiz. So you volunteer at a local food bank, which is thrilled to have you help with a new fund-raising campaign. While doing that work, you meet up with several board members for the food bank who are impressed with your abilities and soon offer referrals to several employers — one of which hires you.

Or say you have some computer skills, but you know you need more experience in that area. You volunteer at a camp for underprivileged kids and are soon using a computer on a daily basis, learning new programs for finance and record keeping. Now you’re able to put on your resume that you’ve got experience in that area and are proficient in certain computer programs — and the camp leader is even able to give you a recommendation.

Keep in mind that any volunteer work you do while you’re looking for a paying job can be used to show an interviewer that you’ve had an active position that required you to use your skills. You can always tell an interviewer that since your last job you’ve been designing marketing campaigns for a large nonprofit, or improving your computer savvy by learning new programs and taking on new challenges for a nonprofit.

If you decide to volunteer, consider:

Being proactive. Reach out to organizations you think would interest you. Visit several places to really understand the mission and goals of the group. Don’t volunteer someplace merely to use them for your own reasons — you need to be committed to truly helping them. Organizations often are grateful to have volunteers for any amount of time, but you need to be honest about what you’re willing to give.

Documenting your efforts. If you volunteer to help refurbish a house, take photos so that you can show an employer your skills in drywall, carpentry or tile work. Ask the site supervisor to write you a letter of recommendation. Keep letters of recognition that give you credit for a job well done or any other written records that document your skills. These will be worth mentioning on a resume or sharing with an interviewer.

Network. Let those you volunteer with know that you’re looking for work. Those who commit their time and energies to volunteer often are business leaders, or have contacts throughout the community. That’s why it’s so critical to present yourself as a competent, eager, sincere volunteer.

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