Want to Grow Your Career This Summer? Try Volunteer Work—Here’s How

Volunteer work isn’t just about giving back to your community—it’s also an underutilized strategy for advancing your career. While you can volunteer at any time, summer is an especially opportune season. With many workplaces slowing down due to vacations and the heat, unique opportunities emerge. Here’s why volunteer work could be your secret weapon for career growth and how you can leverage it.

Volunteer Work: A Strategy for Career Growth

Volunteering allows you to contribute to causes you care about while gaining new skills and expanding your network. It also enhances your professional profile in ways that traditional career paths might not offer.

By engaging in volunteer activities, you can expand your network, refine your skills, and connect with professionals in your field. Staying active in volunteer work keeps you connected and relevant, making you stand out in a competitive job market. It’s different from seeking employment—and it can help you align with your values and build relationships with organizations and people you might want to collaborate with in the future.

Unlocking the Professional Benefits of Volunteer Work

Volunteer work offers a way to build experience without monetary compensation, but the value you gain is significant. Many companies integrate volunteering into their core values to give back to their communities and strengthen team bonds. Limiting your perspective to simply landing a job through volunteering restricts the broader benefits it offers. Volunteering serves as a powerful branding tool that connects you with professionals who share similar values, enhancing your reputation and opening doors to new opportunities.

Additionally, volunteering can help you bridge gaps in your resume by providing hands-on experience with new skills and knowledge. It’s an opportunity to take control of your career, whether you’re looking to advance in your current field or pivot to a new one.

How to Find the Right Volunteer Work

When it comes to finding volunteer work, it’s not just about offering ‘free help.’ The key is to align your volunteer work with your professional goals. Approach organizations with a mindset of professionalism and partnership. Seek out groups facing challenges that align with the skills you want to develop or enhance.

While non-profits are often the go-to for volunteering, large corporations also offer volunteer opportunities. Platforms like Lensa can help connect you with organizations that need your specific expertise. By focusing on a value exchange—where both you and the organization benefit—you can create a volunteer experience that serves your career objectives.

Maximizing Career Gains Through Volunteer Work

To truly benefit from volunteer work, it’s crucial to set clear expectations from the start. Research potential organizations to ensure there’s a balance between what you offer and what you gain in return. Although some organizations might eventually offer paid positions, don’t rely on this outcome. Instead, focus on building strong relationships and delivering work that you can proudly showcase.

Consider what you can gain in return for your volunteer efforts:

1. Feedback. Constructive criticism is valuable for refining your skills and understanding the impact of your work.
2. References. If your work impresses, organizations may provide a letter of recommendation, a powerful addition to your job applications.
3. LinkedIn recommendation. These endorsements can significantly boost your online professional profile for recruiters or hiring managers.
4. Referrals. Organizations can refer you to their partners or networks, helping you expand your professional reach.
5. Flexible schedule. Volunteer work is an opportunity to give what you can. When pay is off the table, schedule options are open. You contribute on your own terms.

Why AI Can’t Replace Volunteer Work

As AI continues to evolve, many organizations worry about its impact on their workforce. However, volunteer work offers unique benefits that AI simply can’t replicate.

Here are four things volunteer workers offer that AI can’t:

• Personality. Employers value the human element that personality brings—something AI can’t provide. Your unique traits can make you stand out.
• Integrity. Humans bring the ability to adapt and update work based on real-time, nuanced changes—something crucial in dynamic environments.
• Emotional intelligence. AI lacks the capacity to understand and convey emotional nuance, which is essential for persuasive communication.
• Real-time adaptability. Only humans can “read the room” and adjust their approach based on collective intuition and experience.

The Tangible Benefits of Volunteer Work

Volunteer work not only helps you gain experience and sharpen new skills—it also offers broader, long-term benefits:

• Stay current. Companies need help keeping up with industry trends and technology. Many professionals keep their heads down, focusing on company objectives for an extended time. Once they lift their heads, their industry has moved on, and their skill set and company have fallen behind the rest. Volunteering helps you stay updated on industry trends and technology, especially if your current job doesn’t provide such opportunities.
• Offer fresh perspectives. Volunteering allows you to bring modern solutions to organizations that may not have the budget for continuous training or technological updates. By introducing new tools, methods, or technologies, you can help these organizations overcome challenges they might not have the resources to address on their own. This not only benefits the organization but also enhances your problem-solving skills and positions you as a forward-thinking professional.
• Build a portfolio of experiences. Keep a detailed record of your volunteer projects to showcase your adaptability and creativity. Documenting your work not only provides evidence of your contributions but also helps you track your growth over time. This collection of experiences can serve as a portfolio, highlighting specific achievements and demonstrating your ability to manage and execute projects successfully. Including these examples in your resume can illustrate your hands-on experience and proactive approach to professional development.
• Expand your network meaningfully. Volunteering provides a comfortable way to network with people who share your values, leading to meaningful connections and potential career opportunities. Whether you’re collaborating on a project or simply sharing ideas, these connections can lead to future partnerships, job referrals, or mentorship opportunities. Networking in a volunteer setting often feels more genuine, as it’s based on shared goals and mutual respect.
• Fail safely. Volunteering gives you the freedom to experiment and learn without the pressure of compensation, fostering a supportive environment where mistakes are part of the learning process. This environment encourages innovation and allows you to test out new ideas or approaches that you might not have the chance to explore in a paid position. Learning from these experiences can help you build resilience and gain insights that you can apply to future challenges in your career.

Wrapping Up: Volunteer Work as a Career Growth Engine

Volunteer work is a powerful tool for career growth. It provides opportunities to gain experience, hone new skills, and expand your professional network. Whether you’re concerned about the rise of AI or simply want to give back while advancing your career, volunteering offers unique benefits that technology can’t replicate. By approaching volunteer opportunities with creativity and a strategic mindset, you can unlock new career paths and solidify your place in the job market.

Find your next volunteer work opportunity or job on Lensa today—and make your move!