Guest Post: Volunteering - A Sure Way Out Of Unemployment

There have been so many suggestions on how to escape unemployment because of its risks such as poverty, rise in crime rate, degradation of health, among others. Several schools of thought have suggested entrepreneurship as a way out of unemployment while some believe in vocations and trade but less emphasis has been laid on volunteering. The hurdle against this is the high financial expectation placed on the graduates by themselves or the society. This has catalyzed the “make-it-quickly” attitude of the average youth. 

Volunteering is a concept of rendering services without being paid. A volunteer is a person who enters into an organization by his/her freewill to offer services without expecting pay. A volunteer is in no way obligated but he must ensure he abides by the rules and policies of the firm.

From my point of view, this concept of volunteering is not widely practiced in this part of the World and has contributed immensely to the alarming rise of unemployment. It is a rare phenomenon for somebody to enter into an organization to volunteer his skills.

There are certain obstacles which discourage people from volunteering, some of which are:

1. Lack of knowledge on the concept by a supposed volunteer

2. Financial hindrance 

3. Ignorance on the part of some employers thinking volunteers come to take an “unknown” advantage

4. Bad academic curricula – giving no rooms for volunteering, holiday jobs et al.

5. Inability to step out of comfort zone.

However, if the myriad of discouraging factors could be overlooked, there are so many advantages that a volunteer stands to gain. which include and is not limited to the following:

1. More skills are learnt.

2. Some skills are brushed up

3. There is a room for networking.

4. Etiquette and office decorum skills are learnt.

5. Theoretical knowledge is being put into practice.

6. There is a broader and wider insight to seeing issues.

7. Experience is on the increase.

8. Employment may come in.

9. A volunteer to an outsider is seen as someone with a sense of responsibilities.

10. You will learn at your pace, not under the obligation of the employer.

11. You will know of job opening in the organization or allied organization.

12. You will save yourself the stress of the rigorous job recruitment process

13. Some companies may compensate you for your services.

So are you still jobless? Are you waiting for a company to hire you? Are they still telling you don’t have sufficient experience? Then, stand up, dust your resume and package yourself, move to that company of your choice and tell them you want to volunteer, it is easier than you think!

Written by Peter Olufemi Eludini

eludinipeterolufemi@gmail.com

IG/Twitter: @petfem001 | 565E6AE3

Cover image via 92q.com