Volunteering is mainly about giving something back to the community and helping others, but it's a great way to help yourself too. You can:
- Get an insight into an area of work you are interested in
- Demonstrate commitment to that area of work on your CV
- Network
- Gain practical experience to complement your learning at LSE
- Learn new skills - and put your existing ones to good use
- Meet new people, get to know your local community, and make new friends
- Have fun
- Change your life!
According to a survey by Student Volunteering UK, 40% of student volunteers are so deeply affected by their volunteering that their career paths take a new direction.
Volunteering can help you land a job in any sector too. Research by Reed employment amongst 200 leading businesses revealed that:
- 73% of employers would employ candidates with volunteering experience over those without
- 94% of employers think that volunteering can add skills
- 94% of employees who volunteered to learn new skills had benefited either by getting their first job, improving their salary, or being promoted
Whether you are a undergraduate or postgraduate, whether you have two hours to spare a week or are looking for something to do once in a while on a Sunday morning, volunteering could be for you.
Where can I find voluntary work?
- The LSE Volunteer Centre is the best place to start for information about finding an opportunity in the UK or overseas.
- LSE CareerHub is regularly updated with volunteering opportunities