Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
EP 3066 has a good reason not to ignore the experience of getting volunteers.
Don’t be like a politician in a job interview
(0:00 – 3:24)
Welcome to the interpreter. You know, in today’s job market, everyone is looking for that special thing, that little edge. Well, today we’re going to dig out a powerful tool that most people will honestly not consider, but that might be something that can help you take on your next great role.
Is this one a little close to home? Yes. Maybe you just got out of school, or after a while off, you were back in the workforce, or maybe you just had a lot of time on your resume and you weren’t sure how to explain it. This is a very common concern, but it is really valuable if I tell you there is a way to fill that space with something your employer finds.
This gives us the right to solve this classic problem, which I call the experiential paradox. Oh, you’ve been there, right? You need experience to find a job, but you need a job to gain experience. It feels like this is an impossible, totally frustrating circle that you can’t get rid of.
This is the real problem, isn’t it? When your app feels like a piece of paper in a giant stack, how do you really make it stand out? More importantly, how do you break this paradox and prove to someone what you need? Well, the answer may be just something you are overlooked, and it may even be impossible. This is an answer, and it really challenges the way old schools think about what it is actually when you build your career. Look, we can talk all day about what we think should be calculated, but at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is doing what people who are hiring actually believe.
So what is the real story? What do they see when they sift through all these resumes? Here. This is a game-changer and is backed by LinkedIn’s hard data. Understand this, all 41% of employers believe that the experience of volunteers is almost as valuable as paid work experience.
Just let that number sink for a second, 41%. We’re not talking about a small part of it here. This is half the hiring managers who are studying volunteering and seeing real, specific, valuable skills.
Seeing it visually, you will understand it. It’s not just some accompanying comments. That’s a huge slice of the pie.
This means there is a large group of employers out there ready to take your volunteer experience seriously. OK, so we know a lot of employers value it. The next logical question is, why, right? What do they think is this so important volunteering? Let’s actually break down the strategic benefits that make this a killer career development.
You know, when you really boil, that’s why it works. They build careers, develop your skills and develop the network two absolute cornerstones, both of which happen in two places. Of course, the settings may vary, but valuable results are exactly the same.
So it all boils down to two very clear, powerful things. First, you will gain practical skills. Second, you will develop your professional network.
Let’s take a closer look at these two. First, acquire skills. Hey, it’s not just the enthusiasm and vague feeling you get from helping.
I’m talking about the ability that development companies are actively looking for truly worthy of experience. Think about it for a second. Are you helping organize your local food drive? This is not only helpful, but also project coordination.
(3:25 – 5:11)
Are you training a new group of volunteers? That’s leadership and teamwork. Trying to get local businesses to donate supplies? Prosperity, that is communication and problem solving. These are the exact keywords that pop up on your resume.
So the skills are obviously huge, but you know the quote, it’s not just what you know, it’s people you know. This gives us a second huge benefit to grow your network. Volunteering allows you to enter the same room with people who are motivated, enthusiastic, and often very connected.
You may be working with respected community leaders, others who are as passionate as you, or even senior managers of a company you dream about working for. Honestly, you never know the connection you made when volunteering becomes the next big break. All of this leads to a very cool idea of strategic volunteering.
Look, it’s not just about giving you time to any old career, it’s about getting smart. It’s about finding opportunities and asking yourself, OK, what specific skills can I get here? Who can I meet to help me take the next step? This is a complete mentality change. So this is the bottom line.
We have to stop thinking about volunteering as a placeholder, or something that is just done to fill the time. When you do this purposefully, it becomes a positive strategic way to literally build the career you need. So when we combine it, I want to turn it back to you.
I mean, think about your goals. What is that skill you really want to have? Which industry do you want to enter? How do you use strategic volunteering as a bridge to get you from where you are now to where you really want? I just made you think of it last. We are all programmed to find the next position, the next salary.
(5:11 – 5:17)
But what if your most powerful game-changing career move isn’t a job at all?
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About Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
People hired big game hunter Jeff Altman to not offer BS career advice worldwide, because many things in his career are easier in the people. These things may involve job search, More effectively hire, manage and lead better career transitions, and advice on solving workplace problems. He is the host and now produces the “BS-free Job Advice Broadcast”, a #1 podcast in iTunes for 3000 episodes of job search.
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