February 2008 |
VOL 3 ISSUE 5
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Freshman Profiles About Staying Connected |
Volunteering: A Valuable Experience There is no doubt that volunteering makes a difference in the community. Getting involved in the community is also a great way for your son or daughter to gain experience, explore career options and learn valuable lessons about the world of work. By contributing in this way, students often find that helping others also helps them meet their goals. Volunteering in the community is an excellent way to gain valuable experience within one’s major and is a great way to explore career options. For instance, if your son is an education major, volunteering in an after-school tutoring position and interacting with students in need may enhance his classroom experience by building confidence in his skills. A history major may find that volunteering at a museum helps her develop necessary writing and communication skills. Real-world work experience, even if it does not directly relate to your student’s major, can help build essential transferable skills, such as customer service, teamwork and organizational abilities. Making an ongoing, manageable time commitment to a volunteer experience can also teach students valuable lessons about what it means to be in the workforce. Learning to be responsible, dependable and independent are important principles that will benefit them as they work their way through college and beyond. Early involvement and experience is crucial to your student’s career development. There are many ways to identify volunteer opportunities. Many students may be connected to volunteer sites through their church, participation in Webster Works Worldwide, etc. If your student would like to explore volunteer options, she can visit the United Way website. The United Way has an online directory of agencies they serve. You can find the directory at http://www.stl.unitedway.org/ (go to “Who We Help” then click on “Agency Directory”). If your student is having difficulty identifying volunteer opportunities, she can contact Career Services at 314.968.6982. |
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