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Volunteering

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  • Aug 21st, 2006 2:20 pm
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Banned
Jun 29, 2006
1201 posts
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Volunteering

For the past 3 weeks I've been to many sites looking for volunteering positions. Yeah yeah, it's easy to find a position where you pick up trash, walks dogs or do something trivial. However, I'm looking for something more "professional" or that requires me to take a role of leadership. If you can post any openings that'd be great....

I'm available all-day for the rest of summer (till September) and can do weekends.
25 replies
Sr. Member
User avatar
Apr 5, 2006
631 posts
2 upvotes
Toronto/GTA
Why not volunteer for a cause that you care about? Save the Children? Amnesty International? Volunteer at a shelter, soup kitchen etc. Also, try to pick something that you could continue, even a couple of hours a week, during the academic year.
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Heatware
Banned
Jun 29, 2006
1201 posts
1 upvote
sweetnlow wrote:Why not volunteer for a cause that you care about? Save the Children? Amnesty International? Volunteer at a shelter, soup kitchen etc. Also, try to pick something that you could continue, even a couple of hours a week, during the academic year.
it's easy to find... something trivial. However, I'm looking for something ....that requires me to take a role of leadership

Thanks for the help though Lise!
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Nov 15, 2005
8840 posts
Vancouver
You can't take leadership in something you don't truly and completely believe in.

Definitely follow sweetnlow's advice and assist in something that matters to you. Once you find the thing that means a lot to you and you take pride in helping with, you can jump the hoops to get into the type of "leadership" role you are seeking.

Otherwise, it just sounds like you want to do this because you want to be able to put "leadership" on your resume.. if you don't enjoy the place and what they do, you won't last long donating your time and effort.. it would be a waste of everyones time.
Beans, beans, the magically fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot. The more you toot, the better you feel. So eat your beans at every meal.
Deal Expert
Oct 6, 2005
16872 posts
2557 upvotes
red_roses101 wrote: it's easy to find... something trivial. However, I'm looking for something ....that requires me to take a role of leadership

Thanks for the help though Lise!

Are you a highschool student by any chance? Ever since the government mandated mandatory volunteering... I've found that the quality of student volunteers have dropped significantly. In the past... kids/people volunteered because they cared and to rack up some experience on the side... but now kids treat volunteering as a job - they could careless about the organization. I've seen too many times where the kids would just ditch an organization once they've racked up enough experience :( Anyways enough ranting...

Just remember, you don't just start off at the top right away.

My suggestion is that you find an organization that you're interested in and offer to volunteer there (Childrens Aid, Women College Hospital, Sick Kids, United Way, Food Bank, etc). Popular organizations may have a waiting list for potential volunteers... so apply early :)

Leadership opportunities will popup very quicky - especially if you're dedicated to the cause.

Basically get your foot in the door... make some friends (especially with the older volunteers, staff)... and you'll have plenty of opportunity to "lead". Charities and non-profits love dedicated people ;)

P.S. you should consider volunteering on the weekends as well - volunteering a couple weeks of the year won't land you a sweet reference letter ;)
Sr. Member
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Apr 5, 2006
631 posts
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Toronto/GTA
red_roses101 wrote: it's easy to find... something trivial. However, I'm looking for something ....that requires me to take a role of leadership

Thanks for the help though Lise!

Trivial? I don't consider those causes trivial, nor do the recipients of those organizations. Any volunteering you do wouldn't be trivial.

Remember, just as with a job, you can't just walk in off the street into a leadership role. You build it over time. Also, there are opportunities within those organizations that you might not be aware about, such a program leaders which will open up once you have volunteered with them for awhile.

This shouldn't just be about your resume, but if it is, do the organizations a favour and choose something you care about and give them a committment they can use.

Perhaps you could be more specific as to what you are looking for and I can give you more concrete suggestions.
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Heatware
Deal Addict
Aug 22, 2004
2539 posts
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If you dont care about working with kiddies, you could always go to midland childcare (theres a sign advertising the place at the supermarket across from pmall, no frills?) Its called Midland something.

Im guessing you COULD call it leadership amongst the kiddies, or demonstrating leadership qualities in a team enviroment. My friend works there, she bitches about it alot, but seems to like it enough to stay, even though she has like 500 hours.

Right before school starts, they ususally have orientations for grade 9s. You could always pick up a few hours from that. Or you could tutor people in the school in subjects you're strong at. Both of those are arguably "leadership" roles.

What kind of skills or qualifications do you have? That really influences the places where you can lead others. For example, if you're good at football, volunteer to be a coach for those kiddie teams.

I know exactly what you mean by trivial volunteering. Cancer society had me selling flowers for ten hours, pretty dumb way to rack up the ten hours. Sit in a mall, play around with the people selling with you, put money in the box. That sucked.
Deal Addict
Jan 5, 2006
1054 posts
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Mississauga
All very good posts+++. Just a piece of advice, if you do a volunteering job only to make yourself "look" good, your interviewer will see through if you put it down for experience. A common place to volunteer is the hospital, but I don't know your timeline, and those places have LONG waiting lists.
Deal Fanatic
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Nov 15, 2005
8840 posts
Vancouver
Pick something that is directly relatable to your life, which thereby you can use the volunteering as a story during future interviews.

For example.. I volunteer helping children at Big Brothers or Big Sisters.. I really get satisfaction in the work because as a child growing up, I never had a father either.

Or.. I volunteer at the Cancer Society because a few years ago my aunt passed away from lung cancer and that was a great loss to me. Anything I can do to potentially save someone elses aunt would make my life worthwhile.

The examples could go on on, but make it a good story to tell.. rather than just "Well I volunteered there because I wanted to get leadership skills." It'll go much further in gaining the emotions of your future HR hiring staff and securing yourself a position in their company.

Hope that helps, good luck and everyone should volunteer a little of their time for something they care about!
Beans, beans, the magically fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot. The more you toot, the better you feel. So eat your beans at every meal.
Deal Addict
Apr 18, 2005
1108 posts
coolspot wrote:...
Just remember, you don't just start off at the top right away.
...
^
Banned
Jun 29, 2006
1201 posts
1 upvote
FastFokker wrote:Pick something that is directly relatable to your life, which thereby you can use the volunteering as a story during future interviews.

For example.. I volunteer helping children at Big Brothers or Big Sisters.. I really get satisfaction in the work because as a child growing up, I never had a father either.

Or.. I volunteer at the Cancer Society because a few years ago my aunt passed away from lung cancer and that was a great loss to me. Anything I can do to potentially save someone elses aunt would make my life worthwhile.

The examples could go on on, but make it a good story to tell.. rather than just "Well I volunteered there because I wanted to get leadership skills." It'll go much further in gaining the emotions of your future HR hiring staff and securing yourself a position in their company.

Hope that helps, good luck and everyone should volunteer a little of their time for something they care about!

Come on fastfokker....I only have until April...I need 15 hours...but something good.
Deal Expert
Oct 6, 2005
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red_roses101 wrote:
Come on fastfokker....I only have until April...I need 15 hours...but something good.

Thanks for proving my point. Post #5.
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Apr 18, 2005
1108 posts
red_roses101 wrote:
Come on fastfokker....I only have until April...I need 15 hours...but something good.
"Leadership" positions require a lot of committment and, needing only "15 hours", i would highly suspect your ability to commit after your 15 hours are completed.

If you want to make a significant contribution, you'll need to volunteer for a lot longer than 15 hours for someone to give you a position with significant responsibilites - how many kids abrubtly stop volunteering after their 40 hours are up?

In all honesty, it seems like you care about the 15 hours and what you can put on your resume/uni app than the actual cause.
Banned
Jun 29, 2006
1201 posts
1 upvote
will1087 wrote:"Leadership" positions require a lot of committment and, needing only "15 hours", i would highly suspect your ability to commit after your 15 hours are completed.

If you want to make a significant contribution, you'll need to volunteer for a lot longer than 15 hours for someone to give you a position with significant responsibilites - how many kids abrubtly stop volunteering after their 40 hours are up?

In all honesty, it seems like you care about the 15 hours and what you can put on your resume/uni app than the actual cause.
I don't mind putting more than 15 hours...
My last position was event planner for a run for an undisclosed organization....I put in probably 40 hours...but they only counted 25 on site. I have no problem doing more than 15...
Deal Addict
Apr 18, 2005
1108 posts
red_roses101 wrote:I don't mind putting more than 15 hours...
My last position was event planner for a run for an undisclosed organization....I put in probably 40 hours...but they only counted 25 on site. I have no problem doing more than 15...
Then it's easy - if you're willing to put in upwards of 100+ hours.

1) Find a cause you're truely interested in
2) Start from the bottom and learn how things work
3) Work your way up to bigger and bigger projects/leadership roles

No-one throws leadership positions at people - they're earned. Now tell me, what are you the most interested/passionate about?

I had over 600+ volunteer hours working at a Chinese Culture School...

Edit: Seems like you're only available for the summer... :rolleyes: Are you expecting someone to just throw you a leadership position for 2/3 weeks just to have you walk away after that? Seems like real committment there :rolleyes: .
Banned
Jun 29, 2006
1201 posts
1 upvote
will1087 wrote:Then it's easy - if you're willing to put in upwards of 100+ hours.

1) Find a cause you're truely interested in
2) Start from the bottom and learn how things work
3) Work your way up to bigger and bigger projects/leadership roles

No-one throws leadership positions at people - they're earned. Now tell me, what are you the most interested/passionate about?

I had over 600+ volunteer hours in one summer working at a Chinese Culture School...

Edit: Seems like you're only available for the summer... :rolleyes: Are you expecting someone to just throw you a leadership position for 2/3 weeks just to have you walk away after that? Seems like real committment there :rolleyes: .
I don't have any causes that I'm truly interested in...unless somehow MLSE would invite me to help them do something as I'm interested in well-being of the Toronto Raptors, then no. I can be interested in practically anything OK...as long as it doesn't get political/religious.
Deal Addict
Apr 18, 2005
1108 posts
red_roses101 wrote:I don't have any causes that I'm truly interested in...unless somehow MLSE would invite me to help them do something as I'm interested in well-being of the Toronto Raptors, then no. I can be interested in practically anything OK...as long as it doesn't get political/religious.
Even if positions were available for the MLSE, you would've needed to apply months ago for positions in the summer.

On such short notice, you should consider yourself lucky if you find anything enjoyable, let alone meaningful... although i'm sure meaningful can be used lightly here :rolleyes: .

If you have no particular causes you are interested in, what are some of your strengths and things that you enjoy? Do you have any transferable skills from your past volunteering experience/courses/work?
Banned
Jun 29, 2006
1201 posts
1 upvote
will1087 wrote:Even if positions were available for the MLSE, you would've needed to apply months ago for positions in the summer.

On such short notice, you should consider yourself lucky if you find anything enjoyable, let alone meaningful... although i'm sure meaningful can be used lightly here :rolleyes: .

If you have no particular causes you are interested in, what are some of your strengths and things that you enjoy? Do you have any transferable skills from your past volunteering experience/courses/work?

I can do physical work
Good communication skills (phone, e-mail, letters, face to face or public speaking)
Knowledge of most computer applications, or quick learning curve.
Organized.
Deal Addict
Apr 18, 2005
1108 posts
red_roses101 wrote:
I can do physical work
Good communication skills (phone, e-mail, letters, face to face or public speaking)
Knowledge of most computer applications, or quick learning curve.
Organized.
That really opens up a lot of fields for you. Like i said, you're going to have to find the organization but, especially if its a big organization, you're going to have the oppertunity to get involved with a lot of different projects.

That being said, its really important that its not the title you're striving for but the description of your position (in resume terms). Anyone can make up a fancy title on their resume but its the results and responsibilites that count.

Lastly, there are two different types of organizations that you could help: small ones and big ones and there are benefits/drawbacks of each.

If you work for a big organization, chances are that, unless you're paid or have been with the organization for a long time, you'll be working on pre-existing projects and you won't have any input in the direction of the project. However, the big organizations have the most "brand power". If you happen across a leadership position, you'll be guided by a bigger mandate and will only have a chance to manage people and not the direction of the project.

Small organizations, on the other hand, give you a chance to really flex your intellectual or, in your case, real muscles. These organizations aren't usually run by a bigger mandate determined by a few people in suits. These organizations give you the best oppertunity to provide your input. If you happen across a leadership position chances are good that it'll go in the direction you want it to.

And to add, there are also oversea's organizations. A lot of these are run like summer camps where, during an extended period off, you get to travel to another country and help there. Again, you won't be able to do much in terms of the direction of the projects simply because you haven't been working with the organzation long enough.

Good luck and remember that there are exceptions to every rule.

Edit: so many grammatical errors... oh well :razz:

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