Six Ways Volunteering For Ethical Work Can Help You Land Your Dream Job

For some people, working in the for-purpose arena has always been their calling, and they’ve never known anything else. But many come to the world of ethical work later in life. Perhaps you’ve been working in the corporate world for a while but have begun thinking about how you could use your skills for greater good, or want to find a job that more closely aligns with your values.

If you’ve been working for a while, you’ve probably acquired a number of transferable skills - whether that’s specific skills like marketing, sales or accounts, or power skills like leadership and creativity.

What you might not have is the experience or the contacts in the for-purpose sector that you need to break into this type of work.

Volunteering can be a way to fix that. Choosing to volunteer at a for-purpose organisation can help to learn more about ethical work and develop the right contacts to carve out a new career in do-good work. It also gives you a closer look at how the for-purpose world works to help you decide if it is the right fit for you.

Six tips for making the most of an ethical work volunteer opportunity

If you’ve decided that volunteering could be your path to a new for-purpose career, then here are some tips to help you along the way.

#1. Look for relevant opportunities first

If you would like to work in a particular for-purpose area, then look for volunteer opportunities that utilise your skill set or sector experience. That way your experience is more closely relevant to any jobs you might apply for. If you are keen to work for a particular organisation, then see if you can volunteer there first as a way of getting seen. If not look for a volunteer role that matches all or some of your skills. If your forte is finance then look to volunteer to balance an organisation's books or with a micro-finance charity, or if you are a marketing superstar then find a comms role to volunteer for.

#2. Be willing to learn

Often run on a tight budget and with small teams, not-for-profit organisations might be different to your previous work experiences. Volunteering is a great way to learn how not-for-profit organisations work before you commit full-time. It can also be a great way to add a few new skills to your CV, so be open to learning as much as possible.

#3. Look for good size organisations that also have paid staff

Some not-for-profits and charities run solely on volunteers or have just one of two staff. If you are hoping that your volunteer work might lead to a paid opportunity then look for an organisation that employs a reasonable number of staff. An organisation’s website will usually give you a good idea of the team sizes and staff-volunteer ratios - or take a quick look at the charities register.

#4. Treat the volunteer opportunity like an extended interview

If you are hoping volunteering might turn into a paid role in the same organisation, then you need to show why you might be valuable. This is especially true if the role you want isn’t usually paid or doesn’t yet exist. Demonstrate how your skills can add value, and how you could address their needs as a paid member of staff. If no paid opportunities arise during your time there, consider how you could pitch to turn your role from volunteer to staff member. 

#5. Consider how much time you can reasonably give

Remember that you are likely to be volunteering in your spare time, on top of your current job and any other commitments. If you are certain about working in the for-purpose sector and are hoping that paid work might follow, the last thing you want to do is overcommit and then let people down. Remember too, that volunteering might not be forever. If you find a paid for-purpose role you might no longer have time to volunteer, so don’t commit to long-term projects that you can’t see through. If you have to give up your role, do it with the same respect that you would with a paid job - give as much notice as you can and tie up any loose ends before you leave.

#6. Network wisely

The For-Purpose sector in New Zealand isn’t huge. It’s likely that while you are volunteering for any one organisation, you might come into contact with people from other not-for-profits or charities. Use your time to network with other groups to see what opportunities might be coming up. You might also be able to use connections you make during your time as a volunteer as a reference to support you to find a paid role at a similar organisation.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t land a paid job right away

It can be hard to break into the for-purpose world as roles are sometimes limited and people often stay in them for a while. If your volunteering doesn’t turn into a paid opportunity, don’t be disheartened. Volunteering is still great for the soul, and many charities and not-for-profits couldn’t run without their army of volunteers – so you will have helped to keep some important services going. And along the way, you’ll no doubt have picked up some new skills that will help you in your career, even if that’s not right now.

If you are looking for a new volunteer role, then take a look at our job board. We have a range of volunteer roles around the country. And don’t forget to set up a job alert too so you don't miss out on the right opportunity.