Volunteer your way to a graduate job
Whether you want to spend a year teaching English to children in Thailand, six weeks working in a museum in London or three months aiding rainforest conservation in Brazil, volunteering can do wonders - for your CV and for the organisations and people involved.
Voluntary work means giving time to a charity or other good cause, either by funding yourself, or with a nominal stipend to cover your costs. With over 188,000 registered charities in England and Wales and thousands of overseas opportunities, the choice of projects to get involved in is huge.
What will I be doing?
UK-based voluntary work could include helping out in charity shops or assisting the disabled or homeless, while community and conservation projects are often the main feature of work projects abroad. Carolyn Myers, volunteering manager at Oxfam, describes the benefits of volunteering projects, both at home and abroad: 'Volunteering gives you the opportunity to explore different career paths, exposure to different ways of doing things and to a wide network of individuals, as well as a high degree of personal development. Helping out in a large organisation can also give you the opportunity to explore lots of options.'
'In addition to a number of role-specific skills you will gain transferable expertise such as communication and interpersonal ability, and competencies like initiative, flexibility and adaptability. If you want to develop a career in the charity sector, try to remain open-minded and be prepared to move laterally to get to the position you want. From that point on there are an infinite number of options depending on your career goals, drive and motivation.'
If you are working abroad be sure to keep a travel blog recording what you get up to. This will be a useful set of experiences to draw upon when job interviews come, and a great souvenir of your time overseas. Virtually every experience translates into valuable skills that can help you land your dream job in the future.
Tips for applying
If you're looking for voluntary work locally, try approaching a council for voluntary service (CVS) or volunteer bureau: look them up in the phone book or online. Or you could apply online at Do-it or TimeBank or explore organisations such as community service volunteeers (CSV, not to be confused), which offers a range of volunteering opportunities.
For work abroad the most important thing is to do your research – forums can be helpful as they provide an opportunity to hear about other people's experiences. Your careers service will also be able to help. The skills you need will depend on the work you choose to do. However the main skills and qualities sought are commitment, flexibility, enthusiasm and a sense of humour.