My name is Andrea and I’m an international student studying my last semester in Human Resources Management. Over the course of the last semester, I applied for QUT’s Volunteer Real World Placement Program and I highly recommend it to all students.
Currently I’m volunteering for the Cerebral Palsy League, also known as CPL. My project is to provide an in-depth analysis into how improved employee training can reduce costs.
Volunteering is an excellent experience and I recommend all students do at least one volunteering based activity during their time at university. As students it is often quite difficult to gain real world experience (which is something employers value quite highly). You’ll be in a good position through volunteering to network and meet new people, building long lasting relationships, work in teams as well as picking up valuable skills you’ll need for future work and life in general.
#1 Networking
Volunteering strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, exposing you to people with common interests. Every person you meet is more than just a LinkedIn connection, they could potentially lead you to your dream career.
#2 Team Work
Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with people who share common interests.
#3 Learning new skills
In my case the team project I happened to be working on was focused on the cost-savings analysis aspect of training. It was a real challenge as all my project peers were from an accounting background and I was the one oddball with a HR background and limited accounting knowledge. Thanks to this experience I have been able to add to my skillset and have even been able to explore leadership opportunities within the group.
#4 So you don’t get rusty!
Let’s be honest, the possibilities of having a paid job in our career field during our studies can be a real challenge. Student life is hectic and finding time to squeeze in extra hours to volunteer is difficult. We all work part-time to make ends meet but we also need to think ahead and build up our experience before graduation. Thanks to QUT’s Real World Placement Program you’ll be in a strong position to build up your skill set, gain new experience and insights as well as personal connections. More to the point you will get the chance to work on meaningful projects within your degree field inside Australian businesses.
1 Comment
Very interesting post! I think i could volunteer to gain some professional experience, my only concern is the time! i’m wondering how did you manage to handle your studies with the volunteering experience, specially within a team environment where you are supposed to fit your schedule with others. p