  |
|||
|
|
|
||
|
Posted by Paym Bergson Nov 7, 2006 |
Don't diss volunteering as a waste of your precious time. Most employers consider you more valuable to their company if they see you volunteer. This shows you are able to manage your time to allow for volunteering, and more importantly, that you are not just out to "take" from the community, but are willing to give back.
Volunteering also gives you a much needed lift - you feel good about yourself for giving back to the community. The idea is to volunteer at something you think you'd enjoy. For many Thanksgiving's and often on Christmas, our family has volunteered at a local "soup kitchen" - helping to serve the long lines and doing dishes. Nope, this does not go on any Resume, and my two kids did not use this time for their High School volunteer criteria. They just liked doing it, so we continue to do it. It shows them another side of life, and how everyone still deserves a smile and a hot meal. It made them (my kids) and myself feel good for giving back.
By volunteering at the local summer camp, my daughter was able to become a camp counsellor the next year - a job she maintained each summer until she became a Director for the summer just passed.
When I was first starting out after university, I worked at a Theatre (backstage) - one of many jobs as Theatre does not pay much. By volunteering for certain "jobs" at the Theatre (along with my regular hours), I made contacts - which lead to a lucrative freelance writing position with a local publisher. This contact lead me to devote a magazine on personal computers - and the rest is my history.
So, what interests you? Go out and volunteer at it!
__________________________________________________________________
Copyright November 7, 2006. Paym Bergson and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use of this material will constitute an infringement of copyright.