Another benefit for the recent grad who volunteers is that he/she will be able to practice those soft skills that you don't learn in college. You'll find yourselves in situations where you will have to stand tall and represent....represent yourself AND the organization for which you have chosend to volunteer. You certainly can't show up in a faded tshirt and cutoff shorts each morning mumbling to everyone until you wake up good and expect to become that known quantity. Well, you would be a known quantity, but not in the way you'd prefer to be if you are in the job market. So, think of it as a practice field!
Kate Lewisof GA7:06PM May 16, 2010
I volunteered for six months at the library where I now work fulltime. While unemployed, I wanted to stay connected, keep busy, and get the inside scoop on openings. I was fortunate that my wife could shoulder the load in the interim. Volunteer if you can.
Bryanof SC3:38PM May 10, 2010
A lot of organizations that rely on volunteers ask for a minimum time commitment and a consistent schedule. When you're job hunting, finding a paying job takes priority (at least in my life) and I can't necessarily commit to 2 years of 4 hours on Monday nights when I don't know what my paying job's schedule would be like.
Perhaps this is different for someone who knows for sure that they'll eventually be hired to a job that's exactly Monday - Friday, 40 hours with no overtime, but for people in other fields it makes it difficult to get a foot in the door even with volunteering.
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Kate Lewis of GA 7:06PM May 16, 2010
Bryan of SC 3:38PM May 10, 2010
B of CA 3:37PM May 10, 2010