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5 Volunteer Efforts That Impress Employers

Volunteering always looks great on a CV. Even if your experience isn’t directly related to the job you’re applying for, volunteer efforts show that you are an active person who is driven by motives other than financial. Having said this, there are definitely some volunteer efforts which look better than others when it comes to applying for jobs. Here are a few of the most impressive areas of volunteer experience to have when applying for a new position.

1) Relevant experience

Of course, the best voluntary experience you can have is in something relevant to your field. If you are looking to go into finance or accounting than helping a charity out with their accounts, is a fantastic experience to have. In the voluntary job market, you often have the chance to progress much faster than if you were doing the same job in the paid world. This often means that you can gain experience of leading and managing teams sooner and, therefore, make an excellent candidate for an employee.

2) Volunteering abroad

Volunteering abroad poses a few more obstacles than volunteering in your own neighborhood and employers will recognize the challenges you will have had to face. Employers are always looking for dynamic individuals with excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to overcome difficult obstacles. Candidates who have had experience volunteering abroad often possess these qualities. Furthermore, in an increasingly globalised world, employers are looking for candidates with the ability to work internationally.

3) Something you love

If your volunteering work is not completely relevant to the career path you have chosen, make sure it helps a cause about which you are extremely passionate. It is very likely that once you get to a job interview, prospective employers will ask you lots of questions about your volunteering experiences. Therefore, it is very important that you are willing and able to talk at length about your volunteering. Employers look for genuine passion, and if you can convey this whilst talking about the work you’ve done for a brilliant cause then you are much more likely to make a good impression.

4) Training Included

Many charitable organizations may not be able to pay their volunteers, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t be rewarded for your efforts. Volunteers can often obtain useful qualifications through volunteering, such as first-aid certification or leadership training, which will look good as new skills on your CV and make you all the more employable in the future. If you do get yourself a volunteering placement, ask if there are any exams or tests that you can take make the most out of your experience. Volunteering always looks great on a CV. Even if your experience isn’t directly related to the job you’re applying for, it shows that you are an active person who is driven by motives other than the purely financial. Having said this, there are definitely some volunteer efforts which look better than others when it comes to applying for jobs. Here are a few of the most impressive areas of volunteer experience to have when applying for a new position.

5) Full-time Volunteering Work

We can all volunteer for a few hours a week in a local charity, cherry-picking the parts of the job which appeal to us. Employers particularly commend commitment to many hours a week. The closer to a full-time position you can get, the better it will look to prospective employers. They want to know that you can handle a full-time job, whatever the hours may be. Working 40 hours a week for free demonstrates a huge level of commitment and suggests that you will have had to do less pleasurable parts of the job, as well as the fun hands-on parts. This will further prove your motives are far from the financial and make you a very desirable job candidate.

What volunteer projects do you plan to participate in this year? Please share.

Richard McMunn, runs the leading career website, how2become.com. His aim is to help as many people as possible pass the recruitment process they are applying for to secure the job they have always wanted. The site offers a wide range of books and training courses for those who want to ensure they are fully prepared. You can also connect with How2become on YouTube.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

by Bianca Thompson

Employers Will Not Dance with Anyone’s Negative Social Profile

I must admit that I am sometimes quite resistant by social profiles. I personally do not feel everyone, even employers, needs to know everything about me. Nor do I want to know everything about others. We all have opinionated demons that can be extreme to those that do not agree with us.

So what!

Such is life! This is what makes the world unique and interesting. We are not robots.

Some would argue that these technology avenues are good for recruiting because recruiters can use them to get to know their candidates. I totally disagree. Anyone can create an social profile that gives the viewer an image of a workplace angel…the perfect candidate…the right fit for the team.

To me, this makes social profiles unreliable. If someone uses their Twitter account to rant and rave about their passions that may not be common to the masses, does not mean that they will not be an excellent employee. Now, let us turn the table. Someone can have glowing online social profiles but their workplace ethic simply sucks.

My belief is that recruiters should not heavily rely on social profiles in recruiting decisions. It’s an unstable source as we as humans are sometimes unstable. Since I do not have the ultimate hiring power for the entire world, I, in addition to you, must consider the trends of our “social media crazed” society.

Having social profiles on the web becomes problematic when we do not consider our audience. Sure they can delete your friendship on Facebook or stop following you on Twitter but the audience is actually the ENTIRE world. Technology has taught us repeatedly that once something has been sent digitally, it is available forever and for ALL to view.

We must seriously consider all the messages that we send when we post on Facebook, Tweet, text or send e-mails. Our fascination with technology is great and has afforded us ways of connecting with others at a very cheap rate. No one ever really complains of having an outrageous long distance telephone bill these days. We can simply text, email, Tweet or Facebook our long distance friends and family.

Almost everyone desires to be an authentic being. We want to be true to ourselves. What happens when being true to ourselves is “politically incorrect”? Well, if you know this about yourself, you may want to monitor how you use technology and when you use technology. It may help to make an agreement with yourself such as never to use technology when you’re angry or intoxicated.

Another short 1-2-3 “punch to yourself in the face” is to 1) STOP, 2) consider the possibilities of how your social profiles may affect the entire world and 3) choose. You may still choose to proceed after these steps but at least you are conscious of what you are doing and aware of the possible negative impacts of your use of technology. Let us not be foolish to believe that it doesn’t matter or we won’t get caught.

Roland Martin

Mr. Martin had been with CNN since 2007. Last year he released a tweet that seems to have eventually cost him his position with CNN. Two days after his negative tweet regarding the gay community, he was suspended from CNN.

He also met with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation organization after the tweet in an effort to repair the damage he caused. After last year’s Presidential election, Mr. Martin was seen less and less on CNN. April 6, 2013 was his last day with CNN. Coincident? NOT! I truly believe his tweet cost him his position with CNN. Had he punched himself in the face with my 1-2-3 suggestions above, he would probably still have his job at CNN.

Michael Nodianos

This is really sad. This young man was videotaped while expressing his very strong and probably inebriated opinions regarding the rape of a young girl. In the video, he joked about the rape and his comments were definitely politically incorrect. Mr. Nodianos was wearing an Ohio State University shirt during the video.

The video was deleted but hackers found a way to release it. It went viral. A Facebook campaign was launched to have Mr. Nodianos expelled and to have his academic scholarship revoked. He is no longer a student at Ohio State University.

His irresponsible use of technology has cost him his academic scholarship and education at Ohio State University. All that we do online socially is a part of our electronic profile regardless of whether that was the initial intention.

Richard Cebull

Mr. Cebull forwarded a racist joke. Does he have the right to be a racist? Yes, he does. Does he have the right to be a chief federal judge and known racist? No, he does not. Mr. Cebull’s action of forwarding a racist joke about President Obama was unacceptable and unlawful.

Mr. Cebull wrote a letter of apology to the President in addition to filing a complaint against himself. We must remember that what we distribute digitally to a few individuals potentially is seen by the masses.

The delicate dance of authenticity and political correctness is an absolute requirement regardless of your position in life. Technology connects us all and does it very quickly. If you Google your name, what do you see? More importantly is what do you want your potential employer to see? Being intentional with our use of technology is not an option. Our social profiles have capabilities to extend worldwide. Now that’s a large audience. Do you want applause or do you want to be “booed?”

How important is a social profile to you? Tell us what you think in the comments section.

About Bianca "Sassy HR Girl" Thompson

Bianca Michelle Thompson, Chicago native, has worked in the corporate arena within the Chicago Loop for over twenty-five years. The last thirteen years have been within the Human Resources profession. Her experiences within the Human Resources field and her personal life inspired her passion for training and coaching. Bianca has done extensive self-development, team-building and coaching coursework within the corporate and non-profit arenas and with Phoenix Arises Seminars.

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by Mark Anthony Dyson

Do you impress potential employers?

Do you impress potential employers? Nobody will hire you to just give you a chance. It doesn’t matter if you are hard-working and dedicated unless you own the skills and applied knowledge needed for the employers’ position. A lasting impression is sustainable if there is a pattern of project completion or successful business accomplishments.

Employers want the job done in spite of obstacles, personality conflicts, and bad hair days. The blog, America’s Job Exchange’s article, “What Do Employers Want?” stated, “A good employee gets the job done. A great employee gets the job done in spite of everything – including when priorities and schedules shift.”

What does it take for a job seeker to impress? Among having a great resume, cover letter, an impressive portfolio among other things, here are some important attributes needed:

1. Impress employers with wide range of collaborations and projects

Presently, the workplace excels when employees create and embellish their projects and deepen existing expertise along the way. Job seekers who show creative solutions while partnering departments and businesses establish core competencies attractive to future employers. Even more impressive is offering a range of diverse work relationships across various global cultures.

2.Impress employers with quick and perpetual learners

Job seekers who quickly absorb lots of content in a short amount of time shows you quickly create value from ideas. This often comes from lots of reading and writing in your niche, and finding new ways to apply new learning and theory. Job candidates acutely aware of his or her learning style thrive from taking something from nothing.

3. Impress employers with soft skills

Everyone has virtues that he or she excels in that employers find attractive. Do not discount attributes and virtues such as, patience, tact, and customer service. Interviews are tests exposing weaknesses such as patience, or handling conflict. Other soft skills such as communication, courtesy, flexibility, integrity, and interpersonal skills are still gold and stands out in a crowded field of candidates.

4. Impress employers with initiatives saving cost and time

You have heard numbers on your résumé catch the eye of the reader and demonstrates your accomplishments. Employers want to see step-by-step actions that made project goals attainable. Furthermore, explaining clearly project strength and weaknesses are a plus demonstrating your understanding of how your steps impacted cost/time results.

5. Impress employers with observations and evaluations

While interviewing candidates when I was a manager, we gave a short explanation of how our department worked. After the explanation we asked the candidate learned from the explanation. Whether or not the candidate learned from our spiel, we can successfully assess the candidate’s ability to assimilate blocks of information given in short period. This told us a lot about the candidates learning ability and whether he or she was the right fit for our call center area.

What do you think impresses employers? Please share in the comments section below.