Helping Yourself While You Help Others

[Tuesday, October 12, 2010 | View Comments ]

Job seekers often complain of feeling like they’re anonymously sending their resumes off into a black hole—never to be acknowledged or contacted. In today’s automated world, it can often be difficult to know if your resume is ever even seen by a live human being. Everyone knows that having a contact on the inside of an organization can greatly improve your chances of their responding to your application.

How do you cultivate these contacts inside companies where you may want to apply? It doesn’t work in every industry, but in some sectors, such as nonprofits or higher education, starting off as a volunteer can be a great entrée into a particular organization. For instance, if you really want to do paid nonprofit work with the elderly, volunteering with an organization that visits seniors can not only help you acquire contacts in the field but can also help you speak intelligently about relevant issues when it comes time to apply or interview for a job.

Education is another industry where volunteering can get your foot in the door. Volunteering at your child’s school can give you an excellent feel for how the local school system operates. This holds true at the college level as well. I know a woman who moved to my area and offered to do mock interviews for a local university’s career center. She told the university that she was interested in changing career paths to become an academic advisor, and asked if she could volunteer with them to make sure she was going to like the work before making a major life change. They were grateful for the free help, and guess what? When a paid employee resigned the position later that semester, this volunteer advisor was the first person the university called to fill that spot.

Volunteer work is all about altruism, and you shouldn’t dedicate your time to anything unless you truly enjoy it. However, if you’re aspiring to break into a new industry or organization, why not channel your energy into helping the population whom they serve, while helping yourself to learn and grow as an employable job candidate?

Yes, it is important to include any volunteer experience on your resume if it’s relevant to the type of position or industry you are pursuing. For professionally-written resumes samples or additional resume and job search advice visit our site.

Author:

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com/ or call 1.800.991.5187.

Job seekers often complain of feeling like they’re anonymously sending their resumes off into a black hole—never to be acknowledged or contacted. In today’s automated world, it can often be difficult to know if your resume is ever even seen by a live human being. Everyone knows that having a contact on the inside of an organization can greatly improve your chances of their responding to your application.

How do you cultivate these contacts inside companies where you may want to apply? It doesn’t work in every industry, but in some sectors, such as nonprofits or higher education, starting off as a volunteer can be a great entrée into a particular organization. For instance, if you really want to do paid nonprofit work with the elderly, volunteering with an organization that visits seniors can not only help you acquire contacts in the field but can also help you speak intelligently about relevant issues when it comes time to apply or interview for a job.

Education is another industry where volunteering can get your foot in the door. Volunteering at your child’s school can give you an excellent feel for how the local school system operates. This holds true at the college level as well. I know a woman who moved to my area and offered to do mock interviews for a local university’s career center. She told the university that she was interested in changing career paths to become an academic advisor, and asked if she could volunteer with them to make sure she was going to like the work before making a major life change. They were grateful for the free help, and guess what? When a paid employee resigned the position later that semester, this volunteer advisor was the first person the university called to fill that spot.

Volunteer work is all about altruism, and you shouldn’t dedicate your time to anything unless you truly enjoy it. However, if you’re aspiring to break into a new industry or organization, why not channel your energy into helping the population whom they serve, while helping yourself to learn and grow as an employable job candidate?

Yes, it is important to include any volunteer experience on your resume if it’s relevant to the type of position or industry you are pursuing. For professionally-written resumes samples or additional resume and job search advice visit our site.

Author:

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com/ or call 1.800.991.5187.

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