Are you looking for a career booster?
Whether you’re taking your first steps into the job market or want to gain a new experience as a well-rounded professional, volunteering is a great way to achieve your goals.
Here are three reasons why you should start volunteering:
1. Learn new skills
Volunteering is a great way to gain skills and insights. And gaining new skills helps you build confidence in your personal and professional life.
For early professionals, volunteer experience helps you build your resume to land future job opportunities, and could make up for a lack of work experience to help fill any potential gaps in your resume.
For those who are well into their career, volunteering is perfect to branch out into other areas that you’re interested in. Why not using volunteering to learn new skills that don’t directly apply to your current job but will ultimately help your career goals become more rounded?
2. Give back to the community
“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” – Elizabeth Andrew
Helping others feels good! A little bit of your time can go a long way for a good cause.
Looking for opportunities to give your time to? Check out this site to find available volunteer positions in your area: https://www.volunteerconnector.org/
If you’re located in Calgary like ECO Canada, check out these volunteer opportunities you can participate in:
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- Kimberly Burfoot, ECO Canada’s Vice President of Finance & Operations is a dedicated volunteer for AARCs!
3. Networking that can lead to future opportunities
You never know where a connection may take you. Volunteering is a great way to meet people in your fields of interest. Building your network can open doors to valuable mentorship, supportive peers, and even future career opportunities. Just ask Vaneska, our new Project Coordinator!
After volunteering at ECO IMPACT 2024, Vaneska connected with members of the leadership team and soon after joined us as a new ECO Canada staff member!
We’re proud to share Vaneska’s journey from volunteer to team member. Her inspiring story is living proof that volunteering and going the extra mile can lead to exciting opportunities.
Click here to watch a short video about Vaneska’s experience volunteering for ECO IMPACT 2024: https://youtube.com/shorts/TGPXUHY6yZI?si=cOOOQLy3Cj2GUL_0
