You’ve been Volun-told to Volunteer!

With spring in full bloom, you are probably feeling the release from all of the commitments that affect us Canadians in the winter months. Camping, barbecues and other summer activities are just around the corner, but you might be looking for something more substantial to fill your time.  Well, with all that spare time on you hands, this is a great time to expand that last section of everyone's resume and volunteer.

There are over 170,000 non-profit organizations currently registered in Canada, and every year they require millions of hours of volunteer labour. The types of jobs they need filled could be anything from manual labour to office clerical work to marketing and beyond. These jobs are crucial, as they drive the organizations main purpose, and create awareness of the social issue they are trying to address. And not to mention it again, it’s a great way to fill up the old resume.

You may ask; why should I give up my time for nothing? Isn’t my time more valuable than that? The answer to those questions is simple; because you care, and there is more to value than money. You care about the world. Most people say that students go to either university because their parents forced them to, or because they want more money, but I have found that most of us have passion in  our lives, and it’s that kind of passion that we need to bring to these organizations.

Using myself as an example, I have volunteered in numerous capacities; I was a writer for The Bolt, management representative for the CSA,  President of the CBA, a student ambassador for Concordia, a volunteer for the Human Resources Institute of Alberta, on the board of directors for Northern Alberta Cooperative Housing Association and the LGBT Chamber of commerce, and probably a couple other positions that I may have missed. Now that may seem like a lot, but because of the low time commitment each one required, and how they often complemented each other, they never seemed like a burden. They offered me a sense of accomplishment when I’m involved in the achievements of these groups, and they provided me with amazing opportunities to network. I can’t say how many times I’ve been offered job and career opportunities just for participating. For those of you looking for a job, volunteering is a great place to start. You can even find paid positions within these organizations that may not be advertised to the general public.

So go out and make those connections! Follow your passion! And if you don’t know what your passion is, this is a great place to start!