The Ultimate Student Start Up: Volunteering In College

For many high school graduates, the years spend at college or university are meaningful beyond Greek life, roommate drama, class choices, and  football games. An increasing number of collegiate students enhance their lives with volunteer work on and off-campus; 25.7% contribute time to charitable efforts. It's not just a way to fill time between classes or earn community service hours towards a degree; many post-secondary students find volunteerism contributes to their collegiate community, and their current well-being and their prospects later in life.

Giving of yourself: five reasons to sign up and step into the college community

Future employers love a go-getter with community spirit

Hiring managers are  82% more likely to consider a prospect who's done volunteer work, and they're also equally forgiving on at least some resume flaws when it comes to those with a proven volunteer track record. In a tight job market, the person with the drive to obtain that real-world experience for no pay will stand out.

Superior skill set development

Not everything you need to meet the challenges of the real world is learned at home or in a classroom. Volunteering in a setting outside your comfort zone is a slightly uncomfortable but low-risk way to learn and practice new skills. You'll have plenty of experienced people to depend on for help, and short of a truly illegal or egregious act, you won't be fired. Volunteering can also help the career-undecided discover what employment is most suitable by allowing a range of experimentation in different fields.

Oh, the people you meet...

Getting to know your fellow volunteers means friendships beyond school. And the supervisors, managers, and directors you meet are potential contacts for later references and job recommendations.

The balance between life, love, sports, and school

Volunteerism is the pivot point between the other scholastic activities. Whether reading to children in the library, packing canned goods in the food bank, or building new homes post-natural disaster, volunteering takes you away from the stress of grades, deadlines, relationships, wins, and losses and refocuses your mental and emotional health on something bigger than your own world.

Check out - Complete Guide to Student Volunteer Recruitment

Passing it on to the next generation

Over a quarter of those college students who volunteer do so in the form of mentoring and tutoring children. It's a means to enlighten, empower and enrich the next group of young people who will follow them to school and in life while improving the lives of children who often lack a strong, consistent adult figure in their lives.