A recent survey showed that three-quarters of employers prefer to recruit people with volunteering experience on their CV rather than those without it. Voluntary work is unlikely to be the main factor that persuades an employer to take on a particular applicant, but it will certainly help your chances. At the very least, employers favour people who show enthusiasm, energy and drive, and there are few better ways to demonstrate those characteristics than by doing voluntary work.
Volunteering can also equip you with many of the skills that will make you an appealing candidate in the jobs market. In the sector in which you are volunteering, the skills you acquire and the relationships you develop can sometimes lead to paid work, but even if that’s not your aim a stint of volunteer work can greatly strengthen your CV. For those already in work, volunteering can also bolster your CV, giving you a whole new load of skills and experience that you would normally only get from a different job, and putting you in a much stronger position when you finally decide to move on.
