Even the most simple of tasks can cause a huge change in another person's life. Seeing someone benefit from help that you gave them is an amazing experience. However, there are many benefits that you can personally gain just by simply participating in volunteer work. Volunteer experience can be a very valuable asset to have, as it benefits you in many areas of life. Whether you are interested in college or planning to directly join the workforce, there are many things you should consider about becoming a volunteer that can help you achieve your goals.

Having volunteer work experience to put on an application when applying to a college or university carries quite a bit of weight during the approval process. Volunteering, especially for a long duration of time, will help to show your character in a very positive light. It is important to list the specifics of each program that you participated in as well as the activities that you were responsible for. Make sure that you have the team leader or program manager's contact information to add in to the volunteer section of your application. The more detail you can give and the more references you have will help to make your experience appear much stronger. Another suggestion that will help is to request one of your direct volunteer supervisors to write a reference letter for you to submit with your college application. Be sure to select someone who has seen you work on a project or with a team and can describe your character and values well.

It is not news to anyone currently looking for employment of just how competitive the job market is today, so the need for you to stand out and make yourself recognized in the crowd of applicants is even more vital. It is important to realize that in addition to helping to improve the chances of your college admittance, volunteering can be very beneficial to your employment application. Depending on the type of position or the field you are applying to, your volunteer work can actually serve as an internship experience or even as entry-level experience. Many employers are looking for more experienced and knowledgeable applicants that they can utilize in various areas of their business rather than hiring the applicant that requests the least amount of wages. Again, be sure to explain in detail all of the volunteer work that you have done and use a reference from your experience. Not only will you appear more experienced, but you will also show a personal side and convey just how well-rounded of an individual that you are.

Probably the most important and most overlooked benefit of possessing volunteer work experience is the personal changes and emotional growth that it can cause in your own life. Not only do you get the benefit of knowing for a fact that you are doing a service for others around you, but you can gain so much emotionally and mentally from the experience. There are so many life lessons to learn and experiences to gain from when you volunteer.