Improving Your Resume Through Volunteerworkby Teve Torbes

Many people have trouble finding ways to improve their resume. Once you’re in a job, it’s often hard to get the exact tasks that you want assigned to. You may be very good at what you do – which makes it even more difficult to branch out and advance, because they won’t be able to afford to lose you. <BR><BR>One of the best ways around this is to volunteer in your spare time. Your resume needs to be constantly improving – don’t sit around doing the same old thing, especially if you are considering switching lines of work. By volunteering for local organizations, you can often get relevant experience in areas that your employer would never risk assigning you work. <BR><BR>Many local organizations are desperate for help, and will take anyone at anything. It’s often very easy to get senior positions on various committees, which will add valuable padding to your resume. You should just go in and ask if they need anyone to help out in the particular area you’re interested in. <BR><BR>You can usually use this as an opportunity to get a “mentor” – if they have someone working on it when you apply, they’ll usually be glad to teach you so you can help out. It’s a great way to learn new skill sets. Even if you’re not planning on switching career fields, you can use volunteer work as a way to create a “conversation starter” on your resume. <BR><BR>People who interview you will want to talk about something you have in common. An interest in a particular charity or church or society will always spark a conversation, and it’s up to you to make it a good one. You can also usually get some good stories to tell – most of the work will be interesting, and to top it off it’s fulfilling as well. You get to help yourself out at the same time that you’re helping out someone else – a double benefit.