1. Getting to Meet New People

Coming from an introverted person, I know from experience that every time I have the urge to volunteer, there’s that hesitation in the back of my mind of having to put myself into a new environment or having to do it by myself. However, one of the best things I get out of volunteering, after overcoming those thoughts, is getting to meet new people. I realize that I’m not doing it alone. There are other people in the same boat. They are there for the same reason, sharing the same values and goals as you. You get to grow, connect, and even potentially build life lasting friendships with these new people.

After speaking with Caitlin Luetger-Schlewitt, Lecturer in Leadership & Career Readiness at North Central College, she stated how engaging in volunteer work can be a great opportunity to meet new people, new connections, and expand your network. Coming from a college student’s point of view it can be very helpful as they enter the job market, as the more people you know, the more opportunities you may have.

She says, “You never know who you are going to meet, you could volunteer and meet someone who becomes a really close friend, a really great mentor, or a really important figure that connects you with your next job opportunity.”

2. Better Mental Well-Being

Volunteers can make an immense impact on those they serve, not only through the relationships they build, but also by improving the actual health of those being served, leading to what most people call the “helper’s high.”

As a matter of fact, Louise Maritato, a manager and nutrition director of the non-profit organization Meals on Wheels in Kendall County, explained to me how volunteers directly impact the health and well-being of the seniors they serve, as well as their relationships. She says that in a program like Meals on Wheels, it’s more than just delivering meals. While the drivers fulfill this role, they also get the chance to make sure everything is in order. Essentially, it is a wellness check in addition to delivering their meals.

They get to form meaningful bonds with the seniors they serve by spending a few minutes to talk with them each time. Eventually, they become familiar enough with the seniors to notice signs of when something is wrong or off with them. This also puts the families of the senior’s at peace of mind knowing that there is someone regularly checking in on them.

Volunteers gain a sense of purpose, feeling needed, which creates the feeling of a “helper’s high.”

Not only do the people you help benefit mentally from your generosity, but you also experience an increase in your well-being. It is easy to get lonely in college, especially for students who live on campus and are adjusting to a new environment. Getting involved in volunteering is one way to help reduce that feeling and improve your mental health.

In fact, an article by Barbra Field on Verywell Mind describes that, in addition to reducing loneliness which leads to a release of cortisol in the brain, volunteering can also release endorphins, which improves your mental health. This is where the idea of the “helper’s high” comes from. It also notes that volunteering can improve your overall happiness as a study found that people who volunteer at least once month have better mental health.

3. Career Advancement and Influence

Many students, myself included, go to college in hopes of figuring out what they want to do for the rest of their lives because they don’t exactly know what they want to do right out of high school. Volunteering while in college could actually help with this dilemma.

There are many volunteer opportunities you can participate in that can be aimed at different professions such as careers in education, environmental science, or health. Just to get a sense of what it is like to be in that kind of environment can help you find clarity on what you might want to pursue in life.

For Alex, volunteering helped her confirm that she chose the right career path. She explains, “I want to be a teacher. So technically the volunteer work that I’ve done, shows me that I like helping people. Teaching is helping kids grow. So, it’s made me want to pursue my career more than push me to a different one.”

Professional Growth

Volunteering can also help you build your résumé, especially for college students who may not have much work experience.

A study published in the International Review of Education found that students acquire many soft skills through volunteer activity such as personal skills (like listening and  adaptability), communication skills (such as knowing how to explain and communicate with members of organizations), and interpersonal skills (including responsibility, teamwork, and organizational skills). These skills are found to be useful in their professional life. Furthermore, a report by the Corporation for National and Community Service found that volunteering was associated with a 27% higher odds of employment.

Actually, Professor Caitlin Luetger-Schlewitt mentioned that the skills and experience gained through volunteer work are a good way to fill out a résumé, especially if it is long-term service work. Developing transferable skills is key when adding volunteer experience to a résumé, particularly when applying to a job that isn’t related to the kind of volunteer work done.

She phrases it this way: “If you’re volunteering at a non-profit organization and you’re doing really basic office work, what are the pieces of that experience that you can transfer to the type of work you’d like to be doing when you’re applying for your first job out of college?”

In addition, a study in the International Journal of Selection and Assessment suggested that recruiters could emphasize the importance of volunteer experience, as volunteer work holds significant cultural capital for organizations. The study also suggested that an applicant's experience, whether paid or unpaid, did not significantly affect a recruiter’s perception about whether or not the applicant was qualified for a position.