What are your personal benefits of volunteering?

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

While Volunteering becomes more and more popular, the benefits of volunteering are not so much discussed. It is surprising that while volunteering and helping others, you can benefit more than those who receive your help. Those personal benefits of volunteering can form a long list of things which you might not have realized before. That is why it is worth looking deeper in the possibility of doing this type of work rather than any other.

The gift of giving

One of the most valuable personal benefits of volunteering is, of course, the feeling that you are helping others. Everybody knows that the Earth is in a mess and the mankind is in danger. However, not everyone is ready to make changes. If you start your volunteering path, you will quickly realize how important it is to keep your eyes (and your heart) wide open, to think globally, to make a difference. There is nothing better than a feeling that your work is appreciated, that you give somebody a chance for a better life, a ticket to the happier existence. You can be working for the community, help elderly people or teach the kids. In any case, your work is needed, and it is the powerful tool which you can use to change the society and make it better. While giving, you also get something in return. You see the results of your work, and you get encouraged. You get those wings spread behind your back. That prepares you for even greater deeds. It gives you lots of energy and inspiration, and those are ones of the most important things which move you forward.

You don't have to be a philanthropist to change the world. You can start small and change people's lives by using your skills and that way impact on the small community. Once you change the people and their way of thinking, these people will change the other people and it will be like a chain reaction. 

Valuable experience

If you are doing a volunteering job, it can give you a chance to get some experience, obtain new skills and even change your career. You might decide to learn something you have never heard about before. You will meet lots of people from all over the world ready to share their experience with you. You will learn from them, developing your own working style. For instance, you might decide to go to poorer countries to teach less fortunate kids, even if you are new to teaching. You will meet many educators, learn lots of things about education systems in different countries and, of course, have lots of fun while interacting with your students. Volunteering can be your first step in your new career, or it can broaden your views on the field in which you work. Check out how a day as a WWOOF volunteer looks like!

Boost your self-esteem

Sometimes volunteering can become a life-changing experience, and even help people deal with their personal problems. It is especially applicable for the teens or young adults who become more confident and boost their self-esteem while volunteering. Health specialists and physiologists are often talking about personal benefits of volunteering comparable to other therapeutic measures. It has proved very useful for those who suffer from anxiety and depression, as well as eating disorder and other mental diseases. When you see your achievements, you will start to feel valuable. It will give you a push, an opportunity to discover your hidden talents, develop your abilities and perfect your skills.

new friendships
New-Friendships

Active life position and new friendships

While working as a volunteer, you get many opportunities to meet different people and find yourself in the middle of something big and wonderful. It is a great chance to start socializing, and you will surely find it useful to share your experiences with people from different cultural background. This is one of the greatest personal benefits of volunteering since you obtain active life position while doing some social work. It will shape your personality, broaden your life views, and sometimes change them dramatically. If you want to challenge yourself and get a chance to do something for the society which will change it for the better, volunteering is a right thing to do.

Advance your career

Volunteering experience is highly valuable for those who are willing to advance their career and open new opportunities. For most people, first forays into volunteering come through educational “service”. While working with young kids, teenagers and adult learners, you find out that education system is different in every country, and it is never perfect. However, you can contribute to it by making teaching different, engaging and effective. Speaking of education, volunteering helps to improve your college experience. Students can boost their college application and those who are volunteering while studying at college get better chances to find a good job after graduation.

Would you like to improve your professional skills with volunteering? Awesome, check out what is pro bono consulting and how to get enrolled to cool projects!

Profit from benefits of volunteering

All in all, community service will always bring you lots of personal benefits. It is not only about your personal growth and building up your self-esteem and confidence, but also about increasing your chances to get a better position in future and start a great career. Moreover, while volunteering you get a chance to add more fun and unique experiences into your life. It can be challenging work, but it always pays off.