Volunteer Work

This is an edited summary of Talking Tips interview with  with Lorraine Higgins, Chief Executive Officer, Volunteering ACT.

What is Volunteering ACT and how does it fit into the wider Australian context?

Volunteering ACT is the peak body for volunteering in the ACT and surrounding region. It is not part of Volunteering Australia, which is the peak body at a national level. Each state has its own body, and they all cooperate with each other.

In Australia approximately 4.4 m people contribute around 700 m hours of their time per year in volunteering. This contribution is estimated to be worth more than $10b to the Australian economy. There are several reasons why people volunteer, two are to increase skills and to improve their chances of getting paid employment. What skills can volunteering develop that helps a person's employability?

Volunteering builds confidence that a person can do a job. If their self-esteem is high they can put themselves forward. People gain a sense of achievement by developing skills that are work-related in a context where there is less pressure.

Is there evidence that people who have volunteer experience improve their chances of getting paid work?

Yes there is anecdotal evidence. For example when I was the Education Manager here I had a mum who had done some courses and wanted to put them into practice first before entering the workforce. She now manages a volunteering program with 150 volunteers and has won an award. So there is evidence that volunteering builds both confidence and skills.

Are there particular types of volunteer work that are particularly helpful in increasing the chance of finding paid work?

What is useful depends on where you want to work. Some people want to try out their skills or what they have learned during study to give it a try first and see if they want to work in that area full time. As a result of volunteer experience they may decide to change direction. So there’s no particular job. What volunteer work does is give you a chance to work cooperatively with others, be part of a staff and work with a team.

An article in the October HR Monthly reported research that volunteer aid work overseas enhances the kinds of skills employers value, yet employers may see this as unpaid social work or irrelevant to paid work. Do these attitudes also apply to local volunteer work?

These attitudes don’t apply so much to local work. I suggest there is no need to state on a CV that work is volunteer work. ‘Volunteer’ is a rate of pay not a job description. If you are working as a strategic planner or cleaner, you are still a cleaner, the rate of pay is irrelevant.

What do job seekers need to do to 'sell' their volunteer work?

Take my own situation. I entered the paid workforce in my 40s and I gained a position as a result of the volunteer work I had done. I had run a natural family planning clinic, I set it up, managed the books, trained staff, interviewed people. It wasn’t a matter of being paid. I also brought up 6 children and ran a farm for 20 years. All this gave transferable skills. On the farm you got one cheque for the year, so you learned how to budget that over the whole year, giving finance and planning skills. What you have to look at is how the skills you have translate into another area.

If someone is looking to volunteer their time, how should they go about that search?

I suggest people go to www.govolunteer.com.au. It has all the volunteer jobs on it. It is updated once a month, and you can express interest in a position by email. There are volunteer centres in each state. You can go to an organisation that involves volunteers, tell them what your skills are, explore what you can do for each other. Also look in community newspapers or the community section of newspapers. There are always opportunities listed there.

While in the past much volunteer work was hack work, which is still important, but volunteering is changing. Many people want short term work, something that is a project they can plan, work on and finish, during a certain length of time.

Contact details for Volunteering ACT: Phone 02 6251 4060. www.volunteeract.org.au.

Dr Ann Villiers, learning guide, professional speaker and author, is Australia's only Mental Nutritionist® specialising in mind and language practices that help people build flexible thinking, confident speaking and quality connections with people. Visit www.mentalnutrition.com to learn more about Mental Nutrition. Visit www.selectioncriteria.com.au for free resources unlocking the mysteries of public service jobs.