Tips For Finding A Good Volunteer Gig

By Kate | Permalink | No Comments | March 16th, 2007 | Trackback

When you’re considering any volunteer position, it makes sense to find out what it’s all about – in detail. If you’re looking to volunteer a couple of hours a week at home and you find out it is not what you expected, it’s unfortunate; if you travel overseas and/or pay a couple of thousand dollars for a placement…even more so.

• Investigate a volunteer opportunity thoroughly and as you would any similar investment of time and/or money at home. One way is to familiarize yourself with the guidelines for ethical volunteering – though there are probably still situations where an organization may meet these guidelines but what you hoped for still does not materialize.
• Make sure to consider your own motivation – if you are realistic about what you can accomplish in a given time and in a given role, you are less likely to be disappointed. Similarly, be prepared to accept beforehand that the opportunity you’ve got your heart set on might not fit what you’d like it to…and adjust your expectations and search for one that does.
• Consider the experience of others; you can ask to contact past volunteers and if the organization is forthcoming this is a good sign. Many organizations provide volunteer testimonies on their website. I’d personally be more inclined to trust testimonials which are not simply rave reviews – in the real world most situations have challenging or less than ideal aspects, and I would look positively on an organization which is open and realistic about acknowledging this through volunteer testimonials. I also wouldn’t rely solely on this method, especially if the volunteers are not people I know personally. While most organizations are in fact honest, it is unfortunately not difficult to be untruthful through email or the internet, and the kind of organization you want to avoid is also the kind that may be untruthful.
• If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Many people have very idealistic notions about volunteering and in their hopes of achieving something useful overlook practical realities; it may not be fun to be skeptical – and it may make it seem harder to find a good opportunity – but it will often keep you out of less than ideal situations.

Keep things in perspective though: it’s highly unlikely that a bad choice of volunteer organization will turn you into a victim human trafficking or mean that you end up in jail. You might invest time and energy and/or pay money and be disappointed. Learn from each experience, share what you can in a constructive way, and do better next time.

Home » General Tips And Advice

If you found "Tips For Finding A Good Volunteer Gig" useful or interesting, please share it with others by bookmarking it at any of the following sites: