Amy Lindgren

If you’re between jobs for almost any reason — laid off, quit, fired, caretaking — you’re a perfect candidate to become a volunteer. I know you don’t have the time, but on the other hand I’m guessing you probably do. It’s a rare individual who can’t spare even an hour or two to help someone else, at least now and then.

That said, your time is still precious, and you want to spend it wisely. On that note, I won’t use any more of your time on preamble. Here are 11 ways you’ll benefit by volunteering if you’re not currently working in a paid position (and even if you are). These reasons are calibrated toward the specific issues faced by people who are not working or searching for a job.

1. Volunteering can lead to new friends: Sharing a common purpose is a fast way to connect with others. Friends you make as a volunteer become closer than most colleagues, just because you start the relationship with a common bond and no competition.

2. It’s nice to feel welcome: You know how it feels when your friends come help you with a big project? That’s the happy relief you’ll give someone whenever you volunteer. If you left your last job under duress, it’s nice to know someone wants to see your smiling face.

3. Volunteering can provide structure: If you’re in a job-search process, you may have already discovered that the day can fly by without anything getting done. It’s counter-intuitive, but obligating some of your time elsewhere is the antidote. When people have fewer hours for job search, they tend to use the time more effectively.

4. It helps defend against bad habits: Sleeping late? Watching television all day? Not showering or getting enough exercise? You can still form bad habits while volunteering, but you have to work at it. Knowing you’re expected somewhere tends to inspire better self-management.

5. It can fill a skills gap: Learning to lead, training others, being trusted with a program or project — these are things you can do as a volunteer that could take years to be assigned in a workplace.

6. It lets you use the expertise you already have: On the other hand, you already have a lot of skills — are you using them? By volunteering in your area of expertise, you keep your skills sharp between jobs.

7. Volunteering gives you interview stories: “What have you been doing since…” is a wince-worthy interview question for candidates with a résumé gap. You can provide a decent or even amazing answer if you’ve been volunteering.

8. Volunteering can lead to a job: It’s not uncommon for organizations to hire from their volunteer pool. Who better to join the team than someone who clearly wants to be there?

9. You can score some fun benefits: You won’t get traditional work benefits such as health insurance, but what about tickets to a show, free food or volunteer dinners? Depending on the role, you could also receive excellent training and even skills certifications.

10. Volunteering is good for you: Mental, emotional and physical health have all been shown to improve for people who volunteer. When you feel good about what you’re doing, you feel good.

11. It’s a good thing to do: Helping others is just the right thing to do, however you go about it. It also sets a good example: When we see others do good, we want to do good as well. And that’s the community we all want to live in.

Getting started as a volunteer

1. Identify how much time you want to offer: It may be as little as an hour per week, so don’t worry that you can’t fit something in. Because some volunteer opportunities are regular and others are on-call or intermittent, something is bound to fit your schedule.

2. Decide what you’d like to be doing: Perhaps you like interacting with people or maybe you enjoy doing online research or working with your hands. If it’s hard for you to get out, there are also ways to volunteer without leaving home. You get to choose.

3. Look for opportunities: This doesn’t have to be hard. If you already know of an organization you support, you can reach out to them directly. Otherwise, you can use an online system such as Volunteermatch.org to connect with a gig you’ll enjoy.

That’s pretty easy, right? Right. So go ahead and get started. Your résumé will thank you, but so will your heart, your spirit and your community.

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Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.