Published on Nov 02, 2022
With so many extracurriculars to pick from, it’s hard to narrow down what opportunities will fit you best. One thing we recommend all college-aged students try out is volunteering! There are so many benefits to volunteering, but here are just a few reasons why you might consider giving it a shot.
Benefits
https://career.missouri.edu/service-transform-lives-including-your-own/(opens in a new tab)
It Makes Your Resume Stand Out
Older groups and high schoolers are both more likely to volunteer than college students, and even put in more hours than them, too. So college students can really stand out by doing volunteer work! Employers are more likely to pick a candidate if they have volunteer experience on their resume. Additionally, employers are more likely to forgive flaws on a resume if they do have that volunteer experience, as well.
Gain Real-World Skills
Exercise your skills in problem solving, time management, and leadership through volunteering. You can build on interpersonal skills, as well, between the communication with your teams, leaders, and other peers within volunteer groups. Volunteer service often helps enhance strengths like resourcefulness, collaboration and even individual initiative.
Network With New Groups
Volunteering and service-learning puts you in contact with new people from all different majors, stages in life, and occupations. It can even open doors to new mentors or businesses you might be interested in networking with. Not only does volunteering stand out on your resume but it can put you in touch directly with future employers, or just new professional connections.
Feel Good
Spending time out in your community, with others, lending a helping hand is an amazing way to bring a sense of accomplishment to your week. Helping others feels good and is rewarding! Knowing you made a positive impact on someone’s day can really benefit your mental health and even help you become more socially-minded.
Broaden Your Perspective
Volunteering exposes you to a wide variety of groups, lifestyles, situations and more. Through volunteering, you can acknowledge and learn about others’ lived experiences. You can increase your awareness of the world while improving your skills on communicating with different kinds of people, which is beneficial in the professional world.
Opportunities
Try Out MU Service-Learning
For a more tailored approach, try out Mizzou-led service-learning. According to MU’s Office of Service Learning, service learning is the combination of university coursework and community service. It leads to personal growth and helps the community with the opportunity to receive college credit. By clicking this link, you can look through and sign up for different service-learning options. Additionally, OSL offers non-profit and government internship programs as well as global service programs.
Other Campus Volunteer Opportunities
Mizzou additionally has volunteer options like Mizzou Alternative Breaks, Tiger Pantry, STRIPES and many more. Learn more about one-time and ongoing volunteer opportunities at this link to get involved today.
Whether it’s through MU or with an outside organization, volunteering gives students so many real-world benefits. Open up new doors and opportunities to flex your leadership muscles while helping out your community.