How to easily boost your CV with voluntary work!

Sobhan Mohmand, Career Expert          17 Dec 2020

How can you get work experience if almost all the jobs require work experience before you start the job? It almost seems to be a Catch-22 (A dilemma from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions).

However, there is one solution to this puzzle: voluntary work!

Voluntary jobs, just like any other type of jobs, are extremely valued by employers.

There are millions of opportunities available to do voluntary work; who wouldn’t want employees that work for them for free?! Take advantage of this; approach shops and local businesses and work a few hours a week for them.

The benefits of voluntary work

1. You gain invaluable work experience
2. You enhance and develop your skills
3. You get a good reference/recommendation letter from the employer
4. Voluntary work is flexible (you decide what hours/how many hours you work)
5. You improve your CV
6. You might get your Gandhi-style spiritual awakening because you’ve done something good for someone for free…
7. Oh yes, and you dramatically increase your chances of being employed!

For some of us, it is not easy to volunteer.

There is a funny story in which a man tells his friend…

‘Voluntary work… I wouldn’t do it, even if you paid me!’

But jokes aside, if you want to improve your CV (and get a good job) but you haven’t got the work experience: volunteering is probably the best option for you!