Volunteering can pay off in the long run, both personally and professionally

There’s a common stereotype out there that one has to be absolutely ruthless and unforgiving to make it in the world of business. While certain times absolutely call for tough decisions, a little bit of selflessness can actually help you get a leg up on both your career and personal wellbeing.

Society has a way of conditioning all of us to constantly ask the same question over and over again: “But, what’s in it for me?” It may be a dog eat dog world out there, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for kindness. Volunteer work, perhaps at a local animal shelter, food bank, or hospital just to name a few examples, potentially offers a multitude of attractive benefits that can help you reach where you want to go in life, both professionally and personally. Let’s take a look at just a few of the reasons why volunteering your time to the right organizations can absolutely be worth it.

Something for nothing? There’s no such thing nowadays 

They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, so why willingly commit yourself to an activity, task, or ongoing schedule that seemingly offers nothing in return? On the surface volunteering may seem like an uneven transaction, but just because you aren’t being paid in the literal sense doesn’t mean you won’t walk away with something of value.

Experience pays dividends 

A paycheck is essential to everyone’s financial health, but the experience, skills, and connections one can forge while volunteering represent tangible ways to make oneself into a much more attractive job candidate once it comes time to start earning. Hiring managers, recruiters, and HR reps typically view volunteer work listed on resumes as a major plus. Volunteering your valuable time shows you aren’t afraid of hard work and diving into a project that matters to you.

If the volunteer work is relevant to your chosen professional path, even better, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be related. Habitually volunteering to work with the homeless at a local shelter may not appear all that connected to a career in healthcare at first glance, but many skills honed while volunteering (communication, empathy, problem solving) absolutely carry over. 

All upsides

There are virtually no downsides to volunteering. Worst case scenario, you’ve done some good for others or the local community. Best case scenario, you just pumped up your resume in a big way.

Volunteering can also open your eyes to career paths and opportunities you may have never even considered or been aware of in the first place. Whether via forging new industry connections, or seeing a profession from a perspective no classroom can provide, volunteering offers something that is absolutely invaluable while putting together a career: real world learning opportunities. 

Perhaps a law student spends a few nights per week volunteering at a local law center that focuses on helping immigrants and the underprivileged. Experience and knowledge gained during such a volunteer program may lead that individual down an entirely different path than they originally imagined. Another young professional interested in sales may volunteer their time to help with fundraising efforts for a local politician before eventually realizing they’d like to pursue a career in politics themselves.

Personal benefits abound 

There’s no commodity more precious than time, and most of us hardly have much free time as it is. Still, setting some space in your schedule aside for volunteering can end up paying off big time later on, and we’re not talking about your career anymore. Tons of noteworthy published research in recent years points to a clear connection between volunteering and improved personal health outcomes.

One piece of research conducted at Harvard University and published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine tells us that volunteering to help others shows an association with living a longer, happier life. A celebrated, lucrative career is absolutely a goal worth striving for, but job titles and benefits packages pale in comparison to true happiness. If volunteering can really help us find longevity and contentment, it’s an activity worth everyone’s time.

Another study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health suggests there really is something to the notion of giving being a whole lot better than getting. Researchers found that middle-aged and older adults who volunteered on a regular basis were more likely to maintain robust overall health during a three year period and less likely to develop any number of physical, mental, or cognitive issues. As far as why, scientists posit the social aspect of volunteering plays a major role. Besides the emotional benefit of helping others, volunteering also offers new opportunities to interact with like-minded peers and make new social connections.

Of course, the benefits of volunteering aren’t just limited to older adults. A research initiative published in the scientific journal JAMA OPEN reports adolescents who volunteer frequently tend to feel better than their peers on both a physical and mental level. Such young adults usually hold more positive world views and experience issues like depression and anxiety less often.