Research reveals value of volunteering

Typically seen as a vocation for the part time worker, retiree or as part of a corporate social responsibility programme, volunteering is taking on a new life with latest research revealing that the majority of Australians see the merits of helping others making their way onto the CV.

Released by Australia's number one volunteering portal to celebrate the 28th International Volunteer Day on Friday 5th December 5, research by SEEK Volunteer indicates volunteering is a career selling-point, with 83% of people believing it improves experience and skills, 69% saying it shows the type of person they really are and 68% believe it shows an employer that they can roll up their sleeves. 

But while 66% said volunteering is ‘something attractive’ to add to their resume another 39% said that while employers might admire it, it doesn’t actually add much value to the resume.

As to how Australia’s hundreds of thousands of volunteers can make these hours count,

SEEK Volunteer Manager Amanda Robinson says it requires a lot more than just showing you’re willing to go the extra mile to help out a cause. 

Robinson explains “similar to listing your achievements, tasks or responsibilities in different paid employment roles, you can add more value to your volunteering experience by scoping out what exactly it is you’ve learnt, the skills you’ve developed during your experience, or even fundraising targets you’ve met.

“If you’ve developed and implemented new initiatives to drive the objectives of the organisation such as awareness, donations or partnerships then include that on your CV as those are skills that can be directly applied into a business. Employers want to see what you can proactively and creatively bring to the table. 

“Volunteering is a great way to contribute to society and give back to the community but increasingly the skills that are developed through volunteering are being valued by employers.”

And with 51% of people believing that companies should have programs that allow staff to volunteer during business hours many organisations are heeding the call.

Medibank has long been involved in giving back to local communities and through its outreach arm, the Medibank Community Fund, offers all employees the opportunity to take one community leave day per year, where they can carry out voluntary work for not-for-profit organisations, helping them give back to their local communities.

Medibank Executive General Manager, People and Culture Kylie Bishop explains “there is no doubt that giving is not only beneficial to our community, but to our people and Medibank as an organisation.

“Medibank’s volunteering scheme provides employees with the chance to develop new skills, build cohesive relationships and engaged teams, and allows them to give back to their local community in a way that reflects positively on them, and on Medibank.”

There are currently over 13,000 volunteer opportunities listed on SEEK Volunteer across Australia.

For more information go to SEEK Volunteer at volunteer.com.au

21st August 2014 - VOLUNTEERS THE BACKBONE OF AUSTRALIAN SPORT

5th February 2011 - MEDIBANK ALIGNS WITH ACTIVITY AND SPORT PROGRAMS