UU150 Final: Understanding
Understanding Yourself
It’s important to know yourself when searching for a community engagement
opportunity. Below I have outlined several areas of consideration for you to
explore.
Reasons for volunteering
Why are you volunteering? People volunteer for all
kinds of different reasons. It’s important to first
consider the reasons why you have decided to
volunteer. It may be because you’d like to give back
to the community, gain experience and skills, interact
with others, expand your network, complete a course
requirement, connect with your community or have
new experiences. Having a better understanding of
why you’re planning to volunteer will help you to
select the best option.
Goals and expectations
The top three reasons
for volunteering are:
to make a
contribution to
the community
to use skills
and
experiences in
future
experiences?
having been
personally
affected by the
cause the
organization
supports
(Source: Vézina &
Crompton, 2012)
What do you expect to get out of your volunteer experience? By clearly defining
your goals, objectives and expectations, you will be better able to seek out
opportunities that will allow you to achieve them. You might be looking to grow
personally or professionally, to refine existing skills or build new ones, to develop a
better understanding of local or global issues, or to build your network.
Interests and values
What are you passionate about? We’re all passionate about something; it might be
animal rights, education, social justice, health and well-being, women’s
empowerment, art, history, or environmental conservation. It’s worth spending
time thinking about your interests and values because you’re likely to have a more
fulfilling and rewarding experience if you engage in a cause you are passionate
about. You’ll likely feel greater motivation to enthusiastically contribute to the
volunteer expereince if you value it. It’s also worth asking yourself what
you’re not interested in – though you might have the skills to be successful in many
areas, your experience will be more enjoyable if you’re enthusiastic. In addition, in
some cases, a bad fit could create challenges for the organization. For example,
quitting a mentoring commitment could have negative effects (i.e. feeling of
abandonment, decreased self-esteem) on a child being mentored. If you’re unsure
of whether you’d be interested in a long-term commitment, volunteering at an
event is a good way to introduce yourself to the work.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
