America's top motivational professor, Joe Martin, asks, "How important is it for students to get internships, volunteer, or co-op, before they graduate? Basically, I believe it's more important than graduating with honors or at the top of your class. So, my advice to you is, intern, volunteer, and/or co-op immediately."
Joe's advice is to volunteer "smarter," not harder by using your skills to help solve real problems in your community.
Why Volunteer?
- A volunteer experience in you field:
- Allows you to test your vocational skills in the workplace.
- Adds valuable experience to your resume. Employers prize experience in the world of work.
- Gives civic-minded students a way to donate skills and services to organizations within their communities.
- Gives you a chance to interact in a real working environment—valuable experience that will improve your chances of future success.
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You may find that much of the volunteer work offered has hardly anything to do with your curriculum. Many general-skill volunteer projects offer little if no responsibility, and involve monotonous tasks like stuffing envelopes, picking up trash, organizing clothes or supplies, providing simple companionship, making phone calls, etc. But think about it, shouldn't more of the volunteer's skills be used?
Take, for example, Lori Soflarsky.
Lori was a sophomore and psychology major at Indiana University of Pennsylvania when she received formal training from a United Way sponsored suicide-hotline center. While manning the phones, she successfully counseled a suicide call-in and saved another person's life! At 19 years old, her individual contribution made a specific impact that will stay with her the rest of her life. She can draw upon her powerful experience for confidence during challenges throughout her life.
Moreover, even if Lori were not an honors student, her volunteer experience would still beat out any straight-A student without experience in a job interview. It is Lori's experience that gives her the edge.
Note: When the author of this article discovered that many of his fellow college students wanted to volunteer in their fields, but were unable to make the right connections, he established two volunteer groups, Project Sledgehammer and Career Volunteering, Inc. to fill the need. He maintains a searchable data base of 746 volunteer opportunities with national, staff-hungry nonprofits.
Stefanick is also the author of Smash Your Job Market Competition, Career Volunteering Strategies for Landing Your Dream Job and Eye-Opening Insights for Creating a Successful Future, a guide to gaining real world experience while making a difference in the community.