I never really started any serious volunteering until my first child started school. And when I started, boy did I go at it! Why not, I wasn’t working and it kept me busy, not that my three kids plus the other three I was babysitting didn’t… but it was different. It involved connecting with other adults and meetings at night where I could say “See you” to my husband and kids and get away for a while.

It wasn’t until about 5 years later when I went to re-enter the workforce, that I realized I was not worried about having a gap in the employment section of my résumé – I didn’t consider there to be a gap. Why? Well… let’s see what did my years of volunteering get me…?

• The skills to create and maintain websites
• The skills to create all sorts of newsletters, brochures, flyers, tickets and other desktop publishing items.
• Honing my writing skills as I created copy for all of the above.
• Learning how to use a database system to keep memberships organized.
• The ability to lead teams of other volunteers and run business meetings.
• Learning how to communicate effectively with various businesses and people.
• Several Awards – HRM Volunteer Service, Town of Yarmouth Volunteer Service, Association of the Year for Nova Scotia,  Sports Heritage Association award for Baseball person of the Year, to name a few.
• Satisfaction knowing I helped raise thousands of  dollars to put in playground equipment at one school, buy software for school computer classes, money to give directly to classrooms, balls and skipping ropes to use at recess, books for libraries and resource classes and so much more
• Feeling of achievement having helped two associations have the highest fund raising year in their history and another the biggest increase in members over  a few years after many years of declines..

These are just a few of the skills I picked up volunteering… I am certain I could list many more.  When you analyze the things I have done and learned through volunteering, I don’t feel I have any sort of gap in my business experience on my résumé.

Did I start out with a goal to keep things looking good on my résumé for the time when I decided to start working again. No, but once I did I realize what all these experiences added up to, it was shocking. Not only was I helping out all those invovled in the assocaitions I was supporting, but I got back much more in what I learned.

Tonight there is a free webinar at VAnetworking, Candy Beauchamp is presenting on  the importance of volunteering and giving your time.  Check out if you have time…and if you haven’t already, then get out and volunteer, somewhere some group is just waiting for your help.  1 in 6 Canadians volunteer, are you in the minority or the majority?

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