20 Compelling Reasons to Consider Volunteering After College

Having graduated from college, you are now an adult by every meaning of the word. Forty years of work awaits you. You’re hearing the siren song of the rat race. But if you haven’t figured it out by now, the cookie-cutter life path of college-work-marriage-kids-death doesn’t have to be the way it all goes down. Volunteering after college is an adventurous option that you can take to make the world a better place, and benefit yourself a little in the process. Here are 20 reasons why you should give it some serious thought.

1. The job market sucks:

   Half of current college graduates are unemployed or “underemployed,” working in a job beneath their skill level. Students who graduated as far back as 2010 are still looking for jobs utilizing their degrees. Know where they’re always looking for people? Hint: you won’t have to serve coffee to hipsters.

2. See the world:

   Some of the poorest countries that are the most in need of help also happen to be some of the most breathtaking places in the world. The mountains of Nepal, the lush jungles of Costa Rica, the wide expanses of Kenya are just a few of the lush vistas available to you.

3. Volunteering makes you live longer:

   Although at 21 or 22 you probably think you’re invincible, trust us: it won’t be long until it takes you three days to recover from a pickup basketball game and you start thinking seriously about your health. The good news is, if you start helping people for selfless reasons, you may live longer.

4. Volunteers are needed in this economy:

   A recession hits charitable groups doubly hard, as people need more help but volunteers have less time and resources to give. Although the numbers are beginning to come back up, the recession is far from over, unemployment remains high, and the need for workers lingers.

5. Help your resume:

   The job market being what it is, volunteer experience can make great material for improving a resume and helping yourself stand out. More employers are saying they’re interested in employees with volunteer experience. And who knows? You might land a job with the nonprofit you volunteer with.  Continue reading . . .

Article by Rosa Ray and courtesy of Onlinecollegecourses.com