Benefits of Community Volunteering

BY KATE AMMITZBOLL

As a young and aspiring law student, the prospect of graduating and finding a job after university can be daunting and overwhelming to say the least. We all know the statistics and hear the stories of how competitive the job market is. So why not better position yourself to gain experience, apply your knowledge and network with prospective employers?

Volunteering is becoming more and more common with aspiring law students, by doing this it enables prospective employers to look beyond the grades and gain a true representation of your ability to apply yourself in a workplace environment. Volunteering and participating in programs such as law clinic provides a great opportunity to apply your knowledge and gain real life exposure to your potential employment situation, contributing to a cause that is real. Most importantly you are able to present yourself as an individual to future employees with the potential of creating a rewarding career path.

Not only does volunteering better position you for future employment, it exposes you to the aspect of law which isn’t driven by a textbook which is the only experience you’re getting as a university student. Many students still go through their degree unsure of what aspect of law they wish to pursue, or where they’re going to go once they’ve finished their degree. The real life experience volunteering provides drives students to consolidate their options and find the path they wish to pursue, saving them wasted time in the future.

Your volunteer experience and participation within society, when applying for jobs, presents you as a human being who is willing to contribute and who conscious of society and society involvement. This builds a positive picture of yourself as a person, and may just be that extra thing needed if your grades aren’t exactly ideal when looking for employment.

After speaking directly to students who have volunteered previously they have described their experience as ‘a life changing experience, you learn so much’ and that is ‘definitely is a reality check’. They’ve said it as ‘a great way to get real life, practical experience because most places won’t pay you for it. And you learn that the theory is so different from the practical.’ The most vital bit of advice which was given to me from a student was ‘I don’t know how anyone could graduate without doing at least experience because uni just can’t prepare you for it in the way something like volunteering can.’

So why not get involved? Sacrifice a small proportion of your time which consequently will render beneficial on a much larger scale a better position you for the future regardless of what career path you choose.

The Deakin Jobshop will be holding their Annual Volunteer Fair on Wednesday 22 April between 12pm-2pm at the Geelong Warun Ponds campus in the East Dining room. Come along and take advantage of these opportunities!