Enhance your CV with volunteering
Published on 6 October 16
It’s important that you find activities and opportunities to develop these skills and add to your CV throughout your studies. Extra-curricular activities such as sports, hobbies, societies and volunteering, all help you to gain and build upon these skills.
Volunteering can be fun and enhance your overall university experience, while presenting you with new challenges that will help you to improve your employability. It’s a great way for you to open your mind to new ideas and perspectives, and gain a great sense of achievement.
Whether you’re organising a fundraising initiative, helping in a soup kitchen, or digging a community garden, you will be building on existing skills such as teamwork, communication and organisation. You may also gain new skills, such as leadership and negotiation. It can be challenging, but as you develop your skills, your confidence will grow and you’ll see what you are capable of.
Stand out from the crowd in the job market
Volunteering provides you with real-life examples to demonstrate your experience and skills to use on applications and in interviews. It can enable you to gain expertise in areas that are difficult to find in paid employment and, for some careers, voluntary experience is vital.
Volunteering whilst at university is also an effective way to showcase your time management skills. As you’re juggling your studies with deadlines, revision and exams, a social life and maybe a part-time job, making time to volunteer demonstrates to employers that you can plan your time effectively and really commit to something.
When it comes to submitting that job application or going for that interview, remember that The Careers Service can help you put your volunteering experiences into words and really impress the employer!
Want to get started?
The Little Careers Fair
Wednesday 12 October, 10am-4pm, Academy 2
Head to The Little Careers Fair to meet with a range of employers that you won’t find at other careers fairs, such as Charityworks, Change 100 and Little Sports Coaching. Opportunities range from grad schemes and internships to work experience and volunteering, largely with charities and smaller, local companies.
Join the Facebook event
The Volunteering and Social Justice Festival
Tuesday 18 October, 11.30am-4pm, Academy 1
There is no better place to find volunteering opportunities than The Volunteering and Social Justice Festival, where you can meet with a diverse range of charities and not-for-profit organisations with an array of opportunities that you can get involved with in Manchester.
Join the Facebook event
If you are considering a career in the charity and not-for-profit sector, you may be interested in our Third Sector Club, organising talks from experienced professionals working in the sector throughout the year.