1. You make friends!
While embarking on your university journey, your environment is constantly changing. Through a variety of lecture halls, tutorial rooms, and different semesters, it can be hard to find a consistent or familiar group of people. However, through volunteering, whether that’s a student union, extracurricular activity, or club, you are bound to be a part of a group of like-minded people that can make your university experience that much easier. Personally, through being a part of a student union, I have created relationships that offer opportunities like study groups, course advice, and other volunteering.
2. It opens up employment opportunities.
Although having job experience can be very valuable, volunteer experience differs in that it reflects your desire to change, improve, and impact environments and communities. This reflection is very attractive to employers and organizations that may come across your resume. In my personal experience, while applying for my job as a legal office assistant, my employer obviously asked about employment experience for verification reasons, but was mainly intrigued about the volunteer experience I was involved in. This showed me that volunteer experience is of utmost importance and should be built upon and continuous during your undergrad.
3. Volunteering creates connections
Volunteering allows you to participate in a variety of events and sessions that can lead you to create so many connections that can open up opportunities for any individual. Being a part of a student union specifically allows you to connect with professors and institution personnel on a more professional but personal level that can lead to opportunities such as having a supervisor for graduate studies or research opportunities.
Through my experiences, I have found volunteering to be extremely helpful and productive throughout my university experience. It is never too late to offer your time to create change and become involved in your community and I encourage everyone to build their skills through volunteer endeavours!