Being employed of the back of volunteer work.

[Jobhelpplease]

Following on from a previous post I wondered what the chances are of being employed from volunteer charity work.

I’m desperate to get back to work and looking for something I can do online to fit round quite a few factors, I’ll happily do anything but it was suggested in a previous post that I could do some volunteer work with a charity of interest.

This would open up so many avenues of work that I’m really interested in and would find fulfilling and while I’m happy to run it along side something a little less rewarding that is bringing some money in, I wondered how lucky I would have to be to find employment...

Has anyone been hired off the back of volunteer work in a field that they hadn’t worked in before and I also wondered if anyone had any tips and advice as torte right way to approach charities.

(For reference I’m a a qualified nursery nurse and have worked along side lots of different families and child professionals. I also am a forces wife and have volunteered in various community hubs and groups for military families.)

Me! After leaving an abusive marriage my confidence was completely shattered and my MH was all over the place (still is a bit really but I can just about cope). I started volunteering at a local charity who were lovely and happy to take what time and energy I could give them and then added a second. Used references from both of those to get me back into work.

Friend of mine volunteered with an organisation that was supported by our local council. She was able to get references and qualifications and move into employment.

@Darley368 this is amazing, well done you for finding something that got love and thank you for giving me hope!

My DH is absolutely lovely but I do have massive low confidence after just being “mum” for far too long and doubting I’ll be good for anything.

Yes, I did an afternoon of volunteer work week after having my confidence completely shattered by my boss. After 5 yrs as a SAHM, I knew I needed to do something. The people gave me back some confidence, and I got reference for a linked job.
Another lady who had been volunteering in a similar role in 2 different places got offered a FT role with one of the volunteering locations.

Try Citizens Advice. It's quite a big commitment, and hard work, but many volunteers go into related paid work.

Does your council have a volunteer hub? Ours does, I think it’s called Voluntary Action, and they have so many opportunities. You can choose which areas interest you and they’ll send you 3 options. It’s then down to you to make contact.

I know few people who’ve used it as a springboard esp wrt getting references.

@Deux thank you, I’m going to check right now.

It happened to me from volunteering in a school, but then most jobs I’ve ever had have come from someone somewhere saying ‘I wonder if Daisy would take that on’.

I work for a charity. I'm interviewing this week. All of the candidates are volunteers. We advertised specifically to our volunteers before advertising externally.

@DaisyDozyDee you must be really great at what you do! 🥰

@HunterHearstHelmsley that’s amazing and gives me so much hope.

[quote Jobhelpplease]@DaisyDozyDee you must be really great at what you do! 🥰[/quote]
I think it’s more a ‘Jack of all trades and master of none’ scenario. Very broad educational background (degrees in both science and humanities) means I can be handy to have around for multidisciplinary stuff.

Hi fellow military spouse! I used to be an anaesthetic nurse until we were posted abroad and I couldn't work. Although I did love pottering about all day with 3 kids all at school I really wanted to work again.

Long story short I was encouraged by another friend to try freelance writing, which has worked really well for me. A group of us got together and challenged ourselves to use our previous skills to make a little bit of extra money by doing various freelance roles. One used to be a florist so did that for events, one is a yoga teacher, one moved from an NHS job into proofreading.

I know it's not about volunteering but the principle of using your earlier training and skills made me think of it!

Anyway another lady and I started blogging about some of our experiences and the resources we found at www.homefiresfreelancing.co.uk specifically to share what we did with other military spouses. We have a few of the resources we used on there and I'm currently working on a master list.

You could also try recruit for spouses which has loads of info on getting back into work, or the military co working network which has lots of useful info too.

Hi OP, good luck with your search! I've always worked for charity and recruit both volunteers and staff. First thing to be aware of is that in most circumstances it would not be legal for a charity to recruit you as a volunteer as a direct route into paid employment, so please do manage your expectations. That said, volunteering can help refresh your skills and experience, and put you in a good position to gain an interview if a paid role became available.

Tips for finding a role and applying... pretty much every county/city/region has a volunteer centre or hub. These are mostly an online service now, but they advertise volunteer roles and can also help match you. They may also offer training and skills development.

If there is a charity whose work you admire, look them up directly and find out what is on offer. Some very small charities (or local schools and clubs) may be happy to receive a general enquire. But most organisation now prefer you apply for an advertised role, so check their website or ask them to let you know what they are currently looking for. This makes the process considerably more efficient for the charity!

For many volunteer roles now, especially those working with children, you will be expected to "interview". But dont panic! This isnt usually very formal, and it's a 2 way process. They're not testing you, they just want to know about you as a person, and explain the role to you, to make sure they place you a role which you are really going to enjoy.

Finally, if they say "no thank you" then please dont take it personally! As above, it's not that you've "failed", it's just that they either 1. Didnt need your skill set at this point in time or 2. Didnt think that your interests or expectations were a good match for a role, and they dont want to put you in a role you wont enjoy. Contrary to popular belief charities aren't constantly desperate for any old offer of "help" - we work hard to recruit volunteers who are well matched to the work. Because our first priority is to deliver a good service. And our second is to ensure happy, fulfilled volunteers.

Hope that helps and very best of luck!

@Cluelessasacucumber thank you for taking the time to reply, that was really helpful.

I’ve found my nearest cities Volunteer hub and have mad a list of the charities it supports that interested me, I’ve also just done a Google search for some localish smaller ones and have drafted out a very nice email to send to a couple tomorrow.

Thank you everyone, this is the most positive I’ve felt about my future for a long time.

I did some regular IT/techie stuff for the kids' PTA (nothing hugely complicated, just website, newsletters etc) and it was mentioned as a big plus when I applied for, and got, a school job after a long career break.

Yep, me too. Started volunteering for a large national charity and had barely started when I got a paid job there. Been there 11 years now.

Yep, me. Literally just did a training course and started volunteering once a week. I was then trained up by that charity and tutored other volunteers in a paid role albeit only minimal hours. Only 4 years after the initial training course I'm now a volunteer manager in another charity. Never people managed before. I did also have another baby in that time too so haven't gone at it as full pelt as I could have, though did really graft at climbing the ranks as a deliberate decision.

Happy for you to PM with your area (geographical) and area of interest.

Thank you all, I’m really exact about sending off my introduction letter tomorrow. 😊

*excited

A slightly different view.

While I think that it’s not uncommon for charities to advertise positions to volunteers first, a lot of employers are now requesting references from paid employment within the past 2/5 years.

it’s a nightmare for those of us who have been out of work for various reasons for more than that.

In fact I currently have an application sat on my laptop which to all intents and purposes is perfect for me, and they’re recruiting numerous individuals, but they want two such references within the past 5 years.

Within the past 5 years I have had 3 years of serious ill health, followed by a job offer which was withdrawn because of my disability, and then 2 years of pandemic. Am going to explain that in the references section and hope that they will consider me based on my skills anyway, but I don’t rate my chances.

Chances are high! I work in a charity and we often hire volunteers. Personally I volunteered in a similar charity before getting my role.
It’s a common route in.

@AlternativePerspective

A slightly different view.

While I think that it’s not uncommon for charities to advertise positions to volunteers first, a lot of employers are now requesting references from paid employment within the past 2/5 years.

it’s a nightmare for those of us who have been out of work for various reasons for more than that.

Please don’t be put off. Put relevant, recent reference and then a little note to say they will best be able to comment on your abilities. We actively recruit women who have been SAHMs as we can be family friendly and often get a higher quality of applicant that way than we would on salary alone. Our best staff weren’t working before they joined us.

If the organisation refuses your reference, look elsewhere. There is a narrative that SAHMs make themselves unemployable, I honest don’t think that’s true.

I volunteer for a national museum and have known several volunteers get paid posts. After six months, I think we are eligible to apply for internal vacancies, and to ask for references. I would recommend volunteering for a large organization, in your shoes - I have gained experience in front of house, events, HR (helping at recruitment days, providing feedback on candidates), working with people with additional needs, helping with training. There are a variety of roles, some of which are quite skilled. You get lots of support and training (I've done extra safeguarding, dementia friends, disability awareness, as well as ones more specific to my roles and the organisation), and come across people working and volunteering across the sector. If I wanted to get paid work in the sector, there are roles I could do that would give me the specific experience needed. I don't but even so, I have done a range of interesting roles and learned a lot by being part of a large, structured programme. Big organisations usually have a volunteering section on their website so you can see their approach and what sort of roles there are. And yes, don't be disheartened - from what I have seen of recruiting, they are very keen to make sure everyone has a rewarding experience - you need to find the right fit. It sounds like you have loads of useful experience and I am sure you will find something enjoyable and satisfying that will help you rebuild your confidence.