Volunteer To Find Careers

After well over a decade working in direct mail marketing, Karen Irwin was laid off from a job in early 2007. As part a subsequent career search, she began attending a weekly job club, where the facilitator suggested the group look at every local career listing - not just those in a given field.

By Brett Pyrtle, Star Tribune Sales and Marketing

Last update: November 9, 2009 - 10:55 AM

To her surprise, Irwin quickly discovered two things. First, she didn't want to return to her former profession. Second, she found that her extensive background as a volunteer qualified her for a great new opportunity.

"Based on my past work experiences, I would have never dreamed of looking at something in social services," says Irwin, who is now volunteer services and events coordinator at Vail Place in Hopkins. "But one of the key requirements for this job was volunteer experience, and I had been a member of a local community service organization for over 15 years. Now that I'm here, I feel like I found my calling, and that I would not be in this position without my years as a volunteer."

In Pursuit Of Passions

If job seekers are passionate about their careers, it makes sense for them to choose volunteer options that parallel those fields. But if the most recent job track wasn't a good fit, volunteerism offers a conduit to uncover a new path.

"When a person volunteers, they can advance causes they care about," says Mary Quirk, volunteer resources manager for the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA). "They can learn about themselves - and about new career possibilities - in ways that may not have been possible otherwise."

What are some of the best ways to find the right volunteer opportunity? Quirk suggested the following tips.

Take a broad view. With hundreds of organizations competing for time and attention, it's difficult to know just where the right volunteer opportunity may reside. To help ease the search, check out current volunteer openings at HandsOn Twin Cities (www.handsontwincities.org) and Volunteer Match (www.volunteermatch.org). In addition, Quirk suggests using personal contacts to relay volunteer openings.

Find a good fit. Job seekers can help ensure a good match for volunteer work by conducting informational interviews with targeted organizations. That step will help uncover the best match between the volunteer group's needs and a job seeker's desired experiences.

Maximize the opportunity. In many respects, the rules of volunteer work aren't different from those of a paid employer. That means being reliable, flexible and exceeding expectations whenever possible. That approach can deliver win-win results.

"If people are looking for references, they need to cultivate a good working relationship with staff members in a position to give one," says Quirk. "And when they do land new jobs, it's smart to keep the volunteer commitment, because their value to the organization grows the longer they volunteer."

Brett Pyrtle is principal of Turning Point Communications LLC, a marketing communications firm based in St. Paul.

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