Probably you couldn’t wait to finish school, and start applying for jobs with hopes of earning and maybe fulfilling many of your financial desires and needs. Congratulations! But as you’re eager to get a job right away, it may not go as expected. For some people, they may scoop jobs at just one application, yet others, may fail to actually get any response even after applying to numerous companies, due to diverse reasons.

However, you can request to volunteer in a certain company of your choice as you keep applying elsewhere. Volunteering is one of the ways to keep yourself occupied yet learning, even though you’re not paid. Who knows, you may even be lucky to be hired by the same company in the future. 

Emmanuel Rwozi, a customer service manager states that volunteering opens your eyes about what career path to take, as you watch and learn from your colleagues. Not to forget the skills you acquire along the way, such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and so forth.

He adds that all these come with inspiration and push you to even learn more-which lessons you may apply at your future job.

Rwozi carries on that volunteering can offer you an opportunity to try different tasks in dissimilar departments, like sales and marketing, finance, among others, even when it’s not what you specialised in at school.

"With volunteering, you’re assured of confidently excelling in a job interview as you have some attained skills and how you applied them in real life. This doesn’t only make your CV rich, but also boosts your confidence as a qualified candidate as compared to someone who is fresh from university,” he states.

He also carries on that volunteering enhances one’s personal growth and accomplishments. Although you’re not paid, you’re gaining a number of abilities, from how to relate with people, work on time, to how to behave at work, continuous learning, expressing yourself, and much more.

For him, strong connections created while volunteering may turn into mentorship, job references, and job opportunities that’s if one is disciplined.

Judith Uwimana, an IT expert stresses that volunteering can assist in curbing job gaps on one’s resume. For instance, it may be a turn-off to a recruiter if you kept having some gaps in between jobs, so even after losing a job or quitting, it’s advisable to continue volunteering since it makes you an organised and serious person committed to work.

"It’s prudent to keep yourself learning and experienced by applying to work in an NGO, or any company within your field, even when you’re a student who has just finished school. Alternatively, you can volunteer for some time before choosing a career transition, as this may assist you to know if the course you want to pursue is really the same career path you would like to take, if not, it allows you to focus on what you love or enjoy doing considering you have given it time and training to know what best suits you as an individual with your abilities, skills, and knowledge. This hinders you from the pain of pursuing a course just for just, but without a specific purpose,” she explains.

According to Indeed Career Guidance, volunteering requires individuals to be hardworking, honest, and kind to others. These traits can make volunteers an attractive option for employers who may desire committed staff that can integrate into their company’s culture. For example, a potential employer might take an interest in your resume because of your volunteer experience in a library where you may have developed your customer service skills. This can highlight your ability to work with the public professionally and ethically and prove you are dedicated and hardworking.