Benefits of Volunteering

• Meet new people - volunteering can bring you into contact with like minded people as you volunteer together for a cause. It is also a good way to meet people from different backgrounds.  
• Have fun - many students tell us about the fun they have whilst volunteering. 
• Build confidence - while volunteering you will experience challenges and develop new skills. This can help you to build confidence.  
• Boost your employability - volunteering is a great way for you to develop skills such as communication, organisation, teamwork and time management that many employers look for in today's competitive market. 

Volunteering is an effective way to gain relevant experience. For example, if you are interested in looking for a graduate job in marketing, you could volunteer with a local charity helping with their marketing activities.

Remember that when you are applying for jobs, you need to market yourself to employers and stand out from the crowd. Volunteering will help you do this. In addition to your academic achievements, employers are keen to know about other activities that you undertook at University.

Always mention your volunteering when you apply for jobs (in your covering letter and on your CV), highlighting the skills and experience that you have gained.

You can choose to combine your volunteering with an academic 'Leadership in Action' unit through the Manchester Leadership Programme (MLP). 

For more information go to the MLP website.