How volunteering can help you change career

This week is the national Volunteer's Week (1-7th June).
I'm a huge advocat of volunteering, not just for how much it does to help people, animals or environments in need, but for how much it can do for the volunteers themselves. For career changers wanting to make a difference, volunteering can offer crucial inspiration, work experience and contacts that eventually lead to a whole new career in which they get to earn a living and make a positive difference.

We get disillusioned people coming to us in droves, stuck in a career that does little to inspire or motivate them to get up each morning. They want their work to mean something, they want to make a positive difference through the work they do, but they either don't know what they want to do or how to get into it.

My suggestion? Volunteer. There is nothing to lose and so much to gain. You can explore whether a certain line of charity work really is for you, gain great experience for your CV and you're in the best place to hear about any paid positions that become available within the charity you're working for. Volunteering opportunities can be found advertised at your local library, online (try Time Bank for starters) and in your local and national newspaper.

So if you want a career change so that you can make a difference, why not get started today by signing up to be a volunteer.

More Careershifters guidance on getting into the voluntary and not-for-profit sector:
The truth about the voluntary sector
Top 10 questions for jumping across to the not-for-profit sector