The main idea behind volunteering is that you offer your time, experience and knowledge, normally without any reward/pay. However, it may not be so obvious that you can actually benefit from undertaking volunteering activities yourself and although you are supposed to help and guide others you may develop your own skills. How?One would argue that by explaining ideas to others we can understand things better ourselves. It is also about interacting, communicating, leading others and working in a group. It may really help, especially if we are normally very shy or we don’t know how to approach others. What is more, volunteering looks good on our CV as it means that we are willing to make an additional effort without expecting an official reward/pay. It may also mean that we are good at time management, especially if we have a full time job and a very busy schedule. On top of that, it is also about a general sense of satisfaction and purpose. Helping others makes us feel better, makes us happy. Knowing that you have changed/improved someone else’s life or simply made someone smile can mean more than any financial reward.


Finally, don’t forget that volunteering can contribute to your professional development and therefore can count as CPD. Can you think of any other benefits? You can also share your volunteering experience below. 


On our website you can also find a list of volunteering opportunities that may inspire you to get involved.