Community Service & Getting Employed

by Megan Elliott, Social Media Developer

What is one of the biggest hurdles you face when you’re filling out job applications?  If you’re like a good number of our clients, it’s that you don’t have relevant job experience, or what you think is relevant job experience.  Have you thought about volunteering in your community?

Volunteering can be a scary thing to some of us.  We have our routines and the people we know, and we don’t want to step outside of them.  We’re scared of rejection by people we don’t know.

Here are some points to think about though:

·         You expand your network of individuals who may know about jobs in your community.  By showing your dedication to a community service project, they may feel motivated to help you find those jobs, or even to give you a recommendation!

 

·         Volunteering in your community allows you to learn job skills, like clerical work, food preparation, or even some construction skills.

·         By volunteering, you’re actually making yourself healthier!  According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, the health benefits include increasing your ability to fight off heart disease and lowering the possibility of becoming depressed.

According to the Office of Disability Employment Policy, over twelve percent of people with disabilities were unemployed, and only 20.7 percent of people with disabilities participated in the labor force, versus 69.2 percent of people without disabilities, in November 2012.  In other words, more people with disabilities were out of a job and fewer people with disabilities who did have a job were actually a part of the labor force. 

If you are having trouble putting your resume together, we have a team of career coaches ready to take your call.  We can help you word your experience so that it presents you in the best way possible.  We want you to succeed!

To help you get started, why don’t you check out these organizations:

http://www.voa.org/ - Volunteers of America is a national program with opportunities in your area. Check out the website to see what they’ve got for you.

http://www.unitedway.org/ - Almost every community has a United Way office, why don’t you give them a call and ask what you can do to help out?

http://www.iparticipate.org/ - This is a great resource full of ideas contributed all over the nation, but localized for you.