Volunteering

The reasons people volunteer can be personal or practical and both are valid motivations. Some reasons to volunteer could include:

• gaining experience in different areas of work
• meeting people for social or professional reasons
• giving back to a cause or community that you feel connected to.

Volunteering demonstrates to employers that you are dedicated, proactive and have a positive attitude to learning. The confidence and skills you develop through volunteering will serve you well in job applications and interviews. If you want to work in a charity it is essential that you demonstrate an interest in the third sector through volunteering.

Make volunteering work for you by exploring the different ways and means to participate. You can volunteer consistently (e.g. for a year or more), for a fixed amount of time (e.g. a month-long event) or for a couple of hours as a one-off. You can volunteer completely from home, either working to support organisations with research, writing or administration or through speaking with people over the phone.

Once you have an idea of what you want to gain from volunteering you can identify whether an opportunity is right for you. For example, if you want to work in an advice role you will need to commit to a certain period and be trained in areas such as safeguarding whereas if you wanted to support an event you could volunteer for one day only. 

Each region in Scotland has a dedicated website which advertises vacancies in the area. In Aberdeen, most opportunities are advertised through Volunteer Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action. You can search for opportunities across Scotland on the Volunteer Scotland website. We advertise a range of volunteering opportunities on MyCareerHub and host links to more websites in our UK volunteering resources page. 

You can also find opportunities directly through charity websites or social media pages, or through word of mouth if someone you know volunteers. You might also see physical adverts for volunteers on supermarket noticeboards, outside community centres or in local newspapers.

Before looking at opportunities, set some criteria to work out what you want to gain from volunteering, how much time you can commit and the best location for you to work.

Volunteering gives you a foot in the door but some roles still require experience. If there is a role you would like to do but aren't eligible for, consider finding a different position in the same organisation. That way you can have exposure to your preferred role and get to know the people or person working in it.

If you are working with children or vulnerable adults you will be required to complete a PVG check through Disclosure Scotland. Normally the organisation you're working with will organise this for you and cover the cost but they should tell you if this is not the case. 

Some charities advertise opportunities to volunteer abroad which can give you insight into different cultures and the option to support people across the world. Often these vacancies come with costs associated to travel, accommodation and/or visas. You may be also be asked to fundraise before you go depending on the organisation that is running the programme. Be sure to check the small print if you see a volunteering opportunity advertised abroad and know what you are signing up to. Further information can be found on the websites linked in our international volunteering resources.