Door #3: Volunteerism for the Unemployed

GUEST BLOGGER: DR. MAREN WRIGHT VOSS, USU EXTENSION ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

If you or someone you know has lost a job in the present economic shut-down, there are typically two financial options. 
1.  Make more money—that means aggressively looking for work, though that can be a challenge when companies are laying off instead of hiring.  Or,
2.  Cut expenses—going down to a bare-bones existence with only the essentials. 
Out of work, with dim hopes for immediate re-employment, and no money and no permission for going out on the town, it can be easy to get stuck in a rut of down-on-your-luck doldrums. 
But there is a third option.  It won’t save your budget today, but it might boost your spirits now and become a bright light for your budget down the road. 

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Option #3 is Volunteerism.

Everyone loves a volunteer, with their compassion, passion, and free labor.  As a job, it tends to be easy to get.  And while working for no pay may seem like a dumb idea, it has proven to have multiple benefits both personally and professionally. 

Volunteerism benefits include:

• Developing new skills
• Building relevant or new work experience
• Establishing a network of new contacts
• Increased self-confidence
• Keeping physically active
• Better life satisfaction
• Less depression

Monster.com, Forbes, Indeed.com, and US News Money websites have all posted the job-finding benefits of volunteerism.  All the experts agree, volunteering boosts confidence, builds skills, expands your network of contacts, all of which are essential to career hunting.
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You might think, that even out of a job, you don’t have time to volunteer.  Managing children with home schooling and living on a tight budget can be time consuming.  But this last benefit of volunteerism may surprise you.  Volunteers paradoxically report that they feel like they have more time rather than less.

If you are thinking of volunteerism as a pathway to future employment, keep these tips in mind:

• Find the right fit for your expertise and skills—or the ones you want to build.
• Be conscientious—treat your volunteer gig like a job and people will take notice.

Volunteerism has been called the job search strategy with maximum impact—your best bet for finding your next employer.  So if you have found yourself stuck at home with no work and nowhere to go, it’s worth a try.

Maren is an occupational scientist—which means studying flow and engagement in everyday activity.  Her engagement includes hiking, vacationing on a dime, yoga and family time.