INSIGHTS

Volunteering gives you the chance to show what you’re capable of in a low-pressure, high-impact environment. Instead of talking about your skills, you’re actively using them and developing new ones—whether that’s leading a team to put on a community event, managing the logistics behind the scenes, or working with a team to solve real-world problems. You can sharpen high demand professional skills- project management, public speaking,  teamwork, and digital marketing—with measurable results that can be clearly identified on a resume or in a job interview. As people see your strengths in action, they’re more likely to think of you when an opportunity pops up.

Volunteering puts you in rooms you might not normally get into (and with people you might not normally get to rub shoulders with). Nonprofits and community organizations bring together people from all kinds of industries—tech, finance, media, healthcare, you name it. It’s a great way to meet mentors, collaborators, or just genuinely interesting people outside your current job bubble. Sometimes the best career moves start with a conversation that had nothing to do with careers in the first place.

On top of that, volunteer work can give you leadership experience that’s hard to come by early in your career. Want to lead a team? Pitch an idea? Run an event? You might not get that shot at your 9–5 yet, but a volunteer project can be the perfect testing ground. You learn by doing—and bonus: you build confidence and real stories you can bring into interviews or performance reviews.

And let’s be real—employers today are looking for more than just technical skills. They want people who care, who take initiative, and who are engaged with their communities. Volunteering not only helps others, it also shows that you’re someone with drive and heart. It adds depth to your professional brand and gives you a way to explore what kind of work truly lights you up.

So if you’re looking to grow your network, boost your skills, or just feel more connected to something bigger than yourself, start with volunteering. It’s a move that pays off in more ways than one—and you never know who you’ll meet or where it might lead.