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.)

Hiya,

I work for a charity that has paid employees but also a lot of volunteer roles. I would say a good amount of our staff have originally been a volunteer and then apply for a paid role when one comes up. From the applications I see when I do bits of recruitment here and there, the applications from someone who has already been volunteering stand out a mile as generally being a lot better. Even a few months worth really gives people a feel for the organisation and the particular area we work in (homelesness) so they have more depth to their answers and personal statement. We have specific volunteer roles and then one of the paid positions we have is a relief one, which can give experience working across a variety of different services within the organisation so perhaps a bit of volunteering then something like this so that you are getting paid could be a good way in. Good luck!

I volunteered for both CAB and our county police force. I then got a job with the police that I was able to apply for as an internal applicant because of volunteering, and was already familiar with some of their core systems - would not have been able to otherwise. I could also see the possibility of the CAB work helping me to apply into CAB for paid posts (they are amazing, do such good work, and do it all on a shoestring, so not well-paid but A Good Thing).

I should say my experience of volunteering with the police was a mixed bag - some 'colleagues' were fantastic, made use of my availability to help them and gave me useful experiences, but others saw me as a waste of space (muttered in my hearing) and were downright rude and misogynistic. Volunteers were seen as unreliable because they will not turn up more easily than an employee, and I think this set the expectation of some people.

@Makeitsoso would you mind if I PM’d you? 😊

In case anyone is interested...

I’ve already had some lovely emails back from some of the charities I contacted, including Homestart which looks fantastic and put all their volunteers on a course which will be great experience.

Me! I started volunteering at a charity working with disadvantaged young people and families. Six months after I started I was invited to apply for a paid role with them and 5 years later I’m still here.

I got my first job this way. The pay was terrible (it was a charity) but it started me on the ladder.

My sister volunteered with the youth service and got a part time job from it. Then she studied a degree full time while working whenever she could.

I volunteered with the Citizens Advice Bureau and got paid work in the same place once I'd completed the 18 month training.
I went on the specialise in welfare rights and had a really interesting career working in more CAB's, councils, a telephone advice line and an Maps office.

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