Volunteering during your career break has many benefits. It not only feels good to give back to your community, but volunteering is a great way to keep your skills sharp for when you eventually return to work.
One approach is to volunteer “strategically.” This means you deliberately look for opportunities that will refine your existing professional skills, help you develop new ones, and connect you to a larger network.
Which leaves the burning question: How do I find the best strategic volunteering opportunities for me?
Seeking out strategic volunteer work is similar to seeking out paid work. There’s upfront effort involved, although usually without the pressure of preparing a resume or going through an intense interview.
Ready to start? We recommend asking yourself three questions – Why, Where, and How – to keep you focused on opportunities that align with your longer term career goals.
What is my WHY?
Just like with a job search, start by doing some self reflection on what you want and can do. Consider the end point – how do you want your volunteer work and skills gained to show up on your resume?
This step will help narrow down your options. Here, for example, are three skills and the type of volunteer projects that will develop and showcase them:
- Fundraising: Fundraising is essential to every nonprofit organization. Some are looking for grant writers, which lets you practice your written communications skills, while others need help planning and implementing fundraisers, which is a great way to show off your sales and event management abilities. Any time you can connect your efforts to dollars generated is going to be a win.
- Coding: One way to brush up your technical skills is through practical experience. See if there’s an app you can build or a new process you can implement. For this type of volunteer work, it helps to already be part of an organization so you understand who the key people are and how you can contribute to solving some of their technical pain points. All the better when you can connect your efforts to a finished product or more efficiency.
- Marketing: Some nonprofits are looking for volunteers to help them build out their online presence, through social media or blog writing. On the technical side, smaller organizations may not have the funds to hire a website designer or email marketing specialist. Volunteering is a way to familiarize yourself with the latest tools and practices, and to provide examples of your skills in action to future employers.
No matter what type of volunteer work you take on, you’ll also gain important soft skills that are highly valued by employers, such as project management, communication, and collaboration skills.
WHERE can I find this work?
Once you’ve identified what skills you want to practice as part of your volunteer work, it’s time to search for projects. First consider the groups you’re already part of – religious organizations, school-affiliated groups, community groups, and others.
In addition, there are several platforms that aggregate volunteer opportunities across nonprofits. These give you the option to search for both in-person and virtual opportunities that let you give back meaningfully while acquiring experience.
- Catchafire: Catchafire is a platform designed specifically for virtual, skills-based volunteering. Nonprofit organizations across the US post opportunities on the site, which you can search for by organization, length of project, and area of expertise. The best part is that all opportunities can be done remotely!You can opt to take on an entire project, which can take five to 50 hours to complete. Or, you can offer your skills for one-hour virtual consultations with nonprofits who are looking for advice on topics like brand management, finance, marketing strategy, and more.
Completing a longer-term project of any type will look great on your resume and show off your project management skills.
- Volunteer Match: Another great site for finding volunteer opportunities, VolunteerMatch lets you search by skills, cause areas, and location. Some opportunities on the site are virtual, while others are in-person and offered in cities across the US.
- Idealist: While this platform is known as a job search engine for nonprofit organizations, Idealist also offers volunteer opportunities. You can search for volunteer listings by location, then refine further by keyword, interest, or skill.
- Local platforms: If none of the above have opportunities you’re interested in, or if you’d like to volunteer locally, check to see if there are online platforms that host opportunities for your city or town. You can find New York City-based volunteer roles on New York Cares, for example, or Chicago-based volunteering on Chicago Cares. Many local opportunities are more hands-on, giving you the chance to make a difference in your community and work at schools and community centers in your area.
- Nonprofit websites: Another strategy for finding volunteer opportunities is to start by identifying organizations you want to volunteer for and reach out to them directly. Many nonprofit websites have a dedicated section for those interested in giving back, with contact information or volunteer listings. When you’re looking for opportunities on your own, be sure to check that you are giving your skills and time to a registered nonprofit. Under the regulations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, an individual cannot volunteer services to a private, for-profit company.
WHO can I connect with?
The connections you make while volunteering, whether they’re with fellow volunteers or with the organization’s staff and board, are valuable for expanding your network.
Make a connection on LinkedIn to those you meet during your volunteer stint. If there’s someone working in a field or industry you’re interested in, schedule some time to chat with them outside of your volunteer hours or invite them to an informational interview. You never know where a new connection will lead or what new knowledge you’ll gain.
Rosa Andrews is a career mentor, working mom, and military spouse with a background in human resources, recruiting, and career coaching. Equipped with a master’s degree in HR and 15+ years working in people operations and talent management, Rosa is passionate about empowering others to transform into the best version of themselves. Connect with Rosa on LinkedIn.