How to Make the Most of your Volunteering

1. How to Make the Most of your Volunteering Lucy Hawkins, Careers Adviser Download this PPT to open documents & read slide notes!

2. Learning Outcomes • Identifying goals for volunteering • Knowledge and confidence in achieving goals • Knowledge of practical ways to use volunteering as evidence for career interest • Motivation to use and retain contacts from volunteering • Planning strategies to build occupational knowledge • Understanding the benefit of reflection

3. Strategy Setting goals Achieving goals Reflecting

4. Goals for volunteering Try our worksheet:

5. Goals for volunteering SMART goals – about you What are/were your goals? Write a different goal on each

6. Goals for volunteering Skill acquisition Evidencing your career interests Building sector knowledge Making a difference post-it on Put each a section Networking

7. Achieving goals There’s some that you’ll achieve as part of volunteering... ... but we’re focusing on what you can do to make the most of your experience PROACTIVELY

8. Skills acquisition ideas

9. Skill acquisition • Clarifying expectations • Making a case for training in-role • Offering independent study, shadowing • Suggesting discussion on improving your work • Showing interest, building on aptitude

10. Networking ideas

11. Networking • Information interviews • Retaining contacts • Events and conferences • Introductions and referrals • Offering specific support (e.g. recommending The Student Consultancy)

12. Ideas for building sector knowledge

13. Sector knowledge • Shadowing outside your role • Recommended reads (trade press, regulation, research etc.) • Seeking mentoring • Asking questions • Mapping information (org charts, accounts)

14. Making a difference • Sharing evaluation ideas • Exploring spin-out projects • Exploring ‘cascading’ knowledge • Spreading the word • Enabling future volunteers • Considering efficiency

15. Evidencing career interest • LinkedIn.com • Featuring volunteering on your CV • Using volunteering in application forms, e.g. competency questions • Recording your experience, e.g. blogs, social media

16. LinkedIn.com • Volunteering section • And/or in main ‘experience’ • Recommendations and ‘connection’ only active for main experience or education sections

17. LinkedIn.com • Groups – join or start • Summary text = SEO

18. CVs and volunteering • Use headings to place information where you need it • Don’t ‘downgrade’ voluntary work! • Highlight skills developed, achievements, responsibilities • Use size, scale, scope Skill acquisition Evidencing your career interests Networking Building your sector knowledge

19. Application Forms • Keep an eye on their criteria, e.g. • Think about STAR responses...

20. Competency question ” “ Situation Task Actions Result Describe a time when you had to adapt to work successfully with a new team of people.

21. Competency question ” “ Situation Task Actions Result Describe a time when you had to adapt to work successfully with a new team of people. Volunteering work, brief description of team What was ‘working successfully’ – what was the goal? • Self-awareness • Understanding others • Humility • Compromise • Learning • Results-focus • Motivation • Contribution Positive – even if indirectly!

22. Blogs / Articles Offer a blog/article • do-it.org.uk/magazine/blogs • sector blog, trade press, student papers Create your own • beckyinauchindrain.wordpress.com Start up a group effort • leadershipvolunteering.wordpress.com

23. Other social media Same ideas, different medium: • Offer a contribution • Create your own channel • Create a group channel On...

24. Reflecting Try our worksheet: Reflection servesa further goal: helping you with career decision making

25. Reflecting What do you know now about what’s out there? What do you know now about yourself? Self awareness Occupational awareness What key factors do you know now? Decision making Taking action

26. www.careers.ox.ac.uk/careersbeyondprofit 01865 274646reception@careers.ox.ac.uk Q&A#careersbeyondprofit