<p>Is it worth it? Did anyone continue to volunteer during college or you use volunteer as a resume builder?</p>
<p>I still volunteer in college. I enjoyed tutoring kids when I was in high school, so I specifically looked for opportunities to do so when I got to college. I found a great program that didn’t take up too much of my time but would allow me to make a difference (if only just by my presence). I also volunteer at the hospital, which I never did in high school. The latter is pretty much expected for med school and is pretty boring most of the time, but there are bright moments. Until this summer, my lab work was also considered “volunteer work,” since I wasn’t getting any money or academic credit for it. I’ve realized that I’m not really a club person and prefer getting things done on my own.</p>
<p>I don’t really know what you mean by whether it’s really “worth it.” Worth it for what? Resume-building? Personal satisfaction? Just find an activity that interests you. Your accomplishments will have more meaning that way.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s ever worth it to volunteer as a resume builder.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s ever worth it to volunteer as a resume builder. </p>
<p>How else is someone supposed to get a job? If a job requires experience, a volunteer would definitely have the advantage. Its just as resume building as being in clubs or other activities.</p>
<p>ah but the true joy of volunteering comes not from using it to get ahead, its doing something you’re passionate about and that gives back to the community, thus making you feel you truly have accomplished something.</p>
<p>Or at least, thats what i claimed in my college essays.:0:)</p>
<p>I’ll be volunteering at a hospital (and will use it as apart of a field work requirement) and at an animal shelter.</p>
<p>I like it, and I personally think it looks good if you are consistent with it.</p>
<p>I used to. good on resume and a good way to meet people tbh. Just find one that’s actually fun. I used to be on campus patrol and it was always 1 guy and 1 chick in partners. I also had to escort people around the city (almost always paranoid chicks).</p>
<p>a lot of people volunteer in college</p>
<p>… “yes you can”</p>
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<p>Opportunity cost. Instead of spending your time volunteering, you could have been learning up on the subject, sharpening up your interview skills…etc. If you’re already willing to work for free, chances are you aren’t going to maximize your earning potential with the job you get anyways.</p>
<p>There are some instances where volunteering is almost mandatory (a lot of the pre-meds at my school volunteer at nearby hospitals to bolster up their application), but in a lot of situations, it is a relatively poor resume builder.</p>
<p>That said, if you enjoy volunteering, by all means do it. It’s a lot of fun, and if you go in groups, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon.</p>
<p>I volunteer at an ESL learning center, and it was because of volunteering there that I realized what I wanted to do with my degree.</p>
<p>Oh I totally agree if you enjoy it it’s a terrific thing to do. I just think if you don’t enjoy it there are much better ways to spend your time.</p>
<p>myrmidon–are you kidding? you clearly have no idea how valuable volunteer experience can be. for six hours every week this summer i volunteer with archaeology department of our state museum. there i’ve learned about artifact labeling systems, laboratory procedures, the job duties of curators, museum organization and management, and a million more things. i’ve networked with people involved in archaeology and museums all over my state. i’ve talked to archaeologists young and old about their experiences in undergraduate and graduate school and careers in the field and their stories have provided me a much clearer vision of my options and plans for the future. i’ve also learned a considerable amount about native american artifacts and lifestyle because i’ve literally worked with their tools in the lab and talked to archaeologists in the museum about what i was handling. this is a volunteer position. all i did was fill out a form and the head curator called me in to give me a tour. the next week, they set me to work.</p>
<p>i cannot imagine how wikipedia’ing “archaeology” and practicing interview questions in front of a mirror could have helped me more than this volunteer experience. i do not think that it will lower my earning potential in the future. your suggestion seems totally ungrounded in fact, since you didn’t back that statement up at all. since i’ll be a rising junior next summer, i’ll be able to apply to all of the internships that i’d enjoy and benefit from and you’ll have a hard time convincing me that the volunteer experience i can describe on my application will NOT make a more favorable impression upon those evaluating my app. i can’t write “spent lots of time searching the internet for info on anthropology” in my applications, and big-time museums don’t want clueless interns.</p>
<p>you volunteer in a field you’re interested to gain understanding of what it’s really like to work in that field and to gain valuable experience that might give you an edge over your future competitors. </p>
<p>what do you think volunteering does if not allow you to “learn up on the subject”??</p>
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<p>I thought the OP was talking about volunteering during college, which is slightly different, since you are more constrained in terms of time.</p>
<p>During summer, when people have ample time, if they plan on going into industry, they usually volunteer or find work. That’s pretty standard.</p>
<p>I did say that people in some fields (and by the looks of it, this includes archaeology) benefit from volunteering. However, from the fields I am more experienced with (mainly finance), volunteering during the school year is totally uunnecessary.</p>
<p>I’m sorry if I offended you, by assuming that most fields would be similar to what I am most familiar with. Anyways, I’m glad you’re having a great volunteering experience. It definitely sounds like it is worthwhile.</p>
<p>@swattransfer: I don’t disagree it can give you valuable experience. But if you don’t lik ewhat you’r evolunteering at and are only doing it to build your resume it’s not what you should be doing.</p>
<p>I volunteered in high school as well. I personally feel volunteering is a step below internships at the very least. I volunteered at a museum like swattransfer. I concentrated on a different aspect - science. It was fun many times and I ended up learning a lot about animal species that helped me in school and vice versa. </p>
<p>I enjoyed it a lot and yes, maybe I won’t volunteer in college, but thats not because I think its a waste of time, I just would not be able to handle the task and get integrated into the school community with so much work to do. I would rather get established then seek a volunteer or internship position to advance myself. </p>
<p>I shows a lot of character to employers showing that you genuinely care about what you do and that you have a good spirit to help others. I look at my resume compared to my friends now and see that I have less than them in terms of activities, but guess what - they will have to take off their high school clubs when they apply for a job - I have volunteer and internship experience that I can always put on my resume, no matter how small it will impact me - it will be certainly a plus.</p>
<p>If you volunteer during the summer, for instance, and it is very consistent, you can list the position under ‘work experience’. I’ve read a few articles out on the web about how to format your volunteer experience in your resume (give yourself a title that accurately reflects the position you held, etc.). According also to what I have read, it is not necessary to indicate what you were paid for the job (in the case of volunteering, $0). Dedicated and consistent volunteering to one organization is very little different than a paid job.</p>