Why Volunteering is Important for your Career

It’s no secret that employers love great candidates with volunteering work on their resume. In a recent government survey, almost half of HR professionals said they would be more likely to employ an applicant with constructive volunteering experience, and 63% revealed that volunteering makes an application stand out vs. others with similar education and trades.

Why does volunteering matter to an employer? When a potential employee has volunteered with an ethical, independent organization it shows you’re dedicated to your community, will work for what’s right vs. a paycheck, that you have morals and it allows you to develop desirable skills and experience that employers crave. Stepping out of your comfort zone and into a challenging environment means you need to learn to be independent, organized and self-reliant. It builds your confidence, forces you to work on your communication abilities and rewards initiative.

These skills, often earned through volunteering experiences, can put you far ahead of other job applicants fresh out of university with no “real world” experience.