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Maximising the benefits of voluntary work

With a little planning you can maximise the benefit of your voluntary work. Ask yourself what you are trying to achieve from the experience and then set yourself a goal.

This goal must be:

Below is an example:

Tania wishes to use her contacts to find out more about Storm Water Management.

Be specific:
Consider the purpose of these contacts and identify who would be best.
"I want to arrange a meeting to speak to the Project Team about their role in Storm Water Management, whether there are any job openings emerging in this organisation or others. The purpose of this is to see whether their description of the job fits my expectations and to make sure I am building contacts so that I am aware of job vacancies even if they are not advertised."

Make measurable goals:

Establish concrete criteria for measuring the progress towards your goals.
"I will speak to the Project Coordinator and one other member of the Storm Water Management Team. I will also ask for the contact names of two other people who work in Storm Water Management in different organisations."
 

Ensure the goals are attainable

"Meeting two people in the Storm Water Management Team is an attainable goal.  Perhaps I should contact them early in the week to ensure that they have time to meet me."
 

Make realistic goals:

"I do feel nervous about speaking to people about vacancies but I believe the goal is realistic."
 

Time frame:

"I wish to achieve this goal by the end of the first week of my voluntary work. I expect each meeting to take an hour."




 

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