Other benefits of volunteering

By volunteering you can...

• Meet new and interesting people - volunteering can bring you into contact with like minded people as you volunteer together for a cause. It is also a good way to meet people from different backgrounds.
• Have fun - many students tell us about all the fun they have whilst volunteering.
• Build confidence - while volunteering you will experience fresh challenges and develop new skills. This can help you to build confidence.
• Explore Manchester - volunteering gives you a great reason to get off the campus and out into different parts of the city.

Boosting your employability

Volunteering can really help you to stand out from the crowd when you are looking for a job

It is a great way for you to develop skills such as communication, organisation, teamwork and time management that many employers look for in today's competitive market. Many of the skills that you will develop through volunteering will be transferable, demonstrating that you are adaptable and can bring key skills to a job immediately.

Volunteering is also an effective way for you to gain relevant experience. For example, if you are interested in looking for a graduate job in marketing, you could volunteer with a local charity helping with their marketing activities.

In addition to your academic achievements, employers are keen to know about other activities that you undertook at University. Always mention your volunteering when you apply for jobs (in your covering letter and on your CV), highlighting the skills and experience that you have gained. You can also apply your volunteering experience in an interview to demonstate your skills and experience.