The Importance of Volunteering

I love volunteering. I've always liked the idea of giving some of my time to an organization I feel passionately about, or one that I want to learn more about. I've volunteered at clean-ups, as a Big in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, for PR events, and many more. Here are a few reasons why I think that volunteering is SO important:

• It opens your eyes to something you may not have known about before. It's a great opportunity to learn a lot about an organization in a short amount of time. You'll get to do tasks, talk to people involved, and get a feel for the organization's culture.
• It's not a huge time commitment. Don't have time for an internship or can't get one that you want? Tell an organization you're interested in that you'd be more than happy to help them out when they have an event. Lots of organizations love the free help, especially from a trained PR student!
• Volunteering can open doors for you to bigger things. For example, last semester I volunteered with a friend at an event that she was doing for her internship. I got to chatting with another volunteer (who happened to be a full-time employee of the same organization) and she let me know about an internship opportunity. That led to me getting an interview, and landing a great internship. I wouldn't have had that opportunity if I hadn't helped out!
• It feels good. Volunteering is fun, and it's great to know you gave some time and helped an organization that needed it. It's great karma!

Have you had any great experiences volunteering? What are your thoughts on students volunteering their time?