{"id":8866,"date":"2015-05-30T13:03:04","date_gmt":"2015-05-30T07:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internshala.com\/blog\/?p=8866"},"modified":"2016-02-10T16:13:15","modified_gmt":"2016-02-10T10:43:15","slug":"reasons-for-doing-volunteering-internships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internshala.com\/blog\/reasons-for-doing-volunteering-internships\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons Why Volunteering Is More Than Just Giving Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI started as a volunteer, and technically I still am one, but I have been here for more than two years now and count myself as one of the permanent employees. Teaching has always been a sort of a hobby, but this is far more than just teaching. I can safely say that I am the one who has learned more from this than what I have taught\u201d, says Sneha Malhotra, a volunteer at an NGO based out of Delhi that teaches the less-privileged children.<\/p>\n

\"Volunteering<\/p>\n

Volunteering may not be on the top in the list of priority for students but ask those who have done it and they will tell you how fulfilling the experience is. The essence of volunteer-ism is in giving back to the society, but that\u2019s not what it\u2019s all about. It teaches you many valuable things \u2013<\/p>\n

Develops your skills – <\/strong>Volunteering exposes you to a whole new world of opportunities and at the same time helps you in honing your existing skills. It teaches you things that can\u2019t be taught in classroom. Take for instance the ability to work in teams \u2013 we can\u2019t stress enough how important that is in today\u2019s job market and volunteering more often than not involves working in teams. It brings out new hobbies, interests, and forms opinions. You\u2019ll be surprised at how good you\u2019re at things you have never done and a volunteering internship can give you opportunities to try all of them out. A volunteering experience can actually decide your career!<\/p>\n

Meeting diverse groups \u2013<\/strong> Volunteering brings together people from diverse fields and walks. Interaction with co-workers presents an excellent networking scope. A friend of mine who\u2019s a medical student did a volunteering internship at a local hospital during his summer and through that he met his present mentor. It enhances your cross-cultural understanding and develops your people skills. It\u2019s a common pain point of employers that student lag behind in their communication skills during their internships. A volunteering stint could help you curb that.<\/p>\n

Discover yourself –<\/strong> Not only professional help, volunteering widens your personality horizon by exposing you to different kinds of situations and environments. It\u2019s one thing to watch under-privileged children study in an open school in a television documentary and a totally different experience to actually be present in such a school and teach them. It gives you a new and appreciative perspective of life which nothing else can do.<\/p>\n

Sense of achievement \u2013<\/strong> Imagine the satisfaction you get when a charity event ends successfully or when the kids you taught pass with flying colors. \u2018Volunteering can be immensely fulfilling to people who want to be the instruments of change\u2019, says Megha Rastogi, who has been working in the Social Service Guild in her college since her 1st<\/sup> year. As already pointed out, the essence of volunteering is about giving back to the society.<\/p>\n

Boosts your career \u2013<\/strong> While applying for other internships, without much prior work experience to show to your employer, volunteering stints could vouch for your all-round abilities – organizing events, making optimum utilization of the scant resources available, handling operations, managing people, and many more. Even when you apply for higher studies in foreign countries, these experiences will help you boost your CV.<\/p>\n

How many stories have you heard of people leaving their well-settled lives in posh cities and coming down to set-up their own schools or charitable organizations? There must be something really worth in it. As for students, it should be a must-do! It doesn\u2019t require huge time commitments, helps us build a good network, helps us come out of our shelled routine life, and most importantly, gives us an opportunity to make a difference.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer – This article was contributed by Internshala on Youthkiawaaz<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Image credits : www.ihelpchatanooga.org\/<\/p>\n