Deciding on a volunteering role

It can be a bit overwhelming if you start to look for volunteering roles without first considering what role would be best for you. Here are some things to consider when deciding on a volunteering role.

Passion

What are you passionate about? Who would you like to help? Think about what cause you would like to help.

For example, would you like to work with children, help the elderly, support homeless people or be involved in the arts and culture? Are there any issues which are particularly important to you personally?

Having a passion for the cause will motivate you in your volunteering role and help you to stay committed to it.

Time

Think realistically about how much time you can dedicate bearing in mind your other responsibilities. It’s important to have a clear idea of this from the outset to ensure you don’t commit to a role that you can’t manage.

There are roles which require as little as an hour a week, so it is likely you can find a volunteering role to suit the time you have to spare.

There are also remote opportunities available from time to time which would allow you to do your shift from home or while you are on campus.

Skills

Think about the skills that you already have and the skills you would like to develop:

• What skills do you have that could be of some benefit to the organisation?
• Which skills do you want to develop further?

Consider roles that could potentially help you to develop skills to help you in your studies or your career plans.

Do your research

Have a look at what roles are available. Our finding roles section can help you with this.

When you’re looking for roles, look for clues for how well organised the organisation is in regards to their volunteering management.

Check that the responsibilities and time commitment of the role are outlined, which expenses are met, what support and training you would receive and if they have health and safety policies and procedures in place.

The organisation should be happy to answer any questions relating to the above, or you can contact the Volunteering coordinator if you have any queries or concerns about a volunteering role you have found on CareerSPACE or elsewhere.