The Best Approach to Post-Career Volunteering

If volunteering is something you’d like to start doing post career, there are a few tips that can help you identify the ideal volunteer opportunity for yourself. You’ll want to think about what you want to do and where you might want to volunteer in that capacity. In addition, think about the time investment you want to make. No matter what your reasons or interests, you can offer your skills and/or time in ways that are rewarding for you and helpful for your community. It just takes a little organization.

1. Take a moment to envision yourself as a volunteer. What do you see yourself doing? What skills do you want to contribute? There may be quite a difference, for example, between using your accounting skills to help a non-profit organization, or simply contributing five hours a week to do whatever needs to be done at another venue. It’s just a matter of determining what you think you want to do. What you have to offer can make a difference in where you go next.

2. Volunteering should be something you do because you want to. That is, enjoyment or a sense of satisfaction should accompany your volunteer efforts. If you don’t find these, then it may be time to look for another volunteer opportunity.

3. Once you’ve thought about what you’d like to do, think about where you might like to volunteer. Do you want to work with kids or adults, help build homes, clean up the environment? Although some communities may have organizations that do a little of everything, most will specialize. Think, for example, of organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, or the Audobon Society – each of these groups specializes in something particular.

4. It’s also okay if you don’t know what type of venue you’d prefer.  If you really just want to help a local organization, then help a local organization. It’s common for many volunteers to give time to an organization whose cause they support in some way. Maybe one way to narrow down possible organizations is to consider what you’re passionate about. Love animals? Lost a loved one to a specific medical condition?

5. Evaluate your limitations. Whether your limitations are time limits, skill limits, or physical limits, it’s helpful to consider them up front. Maybe you want to help build houses, but you no longer have the physical ability to carry heavy loads of lumber or climb wooden house frames. This doesn’t mean that you can’t volunteer at a place like Habitat for Humanity, but it may mean you find yourself in a different role than you initially planned.

6. Start with a realistic schedule. Start with setting time limits. Volunteers are often in high demand, so many agencies might jump if you said you wanted to help out 40 hours a week. You might find it more practical to start small with your time commitment then build up your hours over time.

7. Expect some unexpected challenges. For some people, it can be difficult to transition from being the person in charge as they were doing their career, to all of a sudden having duties delegated to them. In addition, you’ll probably have to prove yourself a little bit and show what you have to offer. There’s also the added element of getting to know all the other volunteers and staff members. The key is to be patient – with yourself, other individuals, and the organization as a whole. Adapting can take time.

If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities, these organizations can help you find volunteer roles in your community:

VolunteerMatch
http://www.volunteermatch.org/

SeniorCorps
http://www.seniorcorps.org/

Civic Ventures
http://www.civicventures.org/