I often write about my personal reasons for volunteering, motivations of young volunteers and numerous other aspects. However, this week I would like to discuss volunteering in relation to the business world. I found an interesting article and study about how managers, employers and employees value volunteering with regard to the VSO volunteer abroad program. The study is called “Valuing Volunteering” and was conducted by the UK Chartered Management Institute in 2006.
After completing their international volunteer experience, the volunteers stated that the key skills they learned were: (Cook & Jackson 2006)
- Taking responsibility
- Communication skills
- Solving problems in a creative way
- Commitment to work
Personally, I can agree to those statements. A few years ago, I gained some international volunteer experiences in Canada and I can say that my communication and problem-solving skills improved quite significantly during that time.
However, Petrook (2006) concludes the findings of the study with stating that managers “across the UK fail to see how voluntary work boosts career opportunities and skills”. The benefits of such volunteer experiences are often ignored, although the managers could make use of such skills (Cook & Jackson 2006). I absolutely agree to this statement. For instance, volunteer experiences, especially when made internationally, increase one’s self-confidence and dedication. In many countries volunteering is considered as a special extra qualification and managers should learn to take advantage of those skills.
See you next week,
Bettina
References:
Cook, P. & Jackson, N. (2006). ‘Valuing Volunteering. A route to professional development: Views from VSO volunteers and managers.’ Chartered Management Institute. Available from: https://www.managers.org.uk/sites/default/files/user35/CMI_-_Valuing_volunteering_-_Jan_06_-_Full_Report.pdf [Accessed: 28 February, 2010]
Petrook, M. (2006). ‘Individuals fail to capitalise on the benefits of volunteering.’ Chartered Management Institute. 16 June. Available from: http://www.managers.org.uk/news/individuals-fail-capitalise-benefits-volunteering [Accessed: 28 February, 2010]
