Community service is beneficial to more than just the company or person you are volunteering for. Not only are you helping someone else by volunteering your time; you are also helping yourself.
Community service is beneficial in both high school and college. Most high schools require 100-200 hours of community service to graduate. Having a robust background in helping others sets you apart as an applicant on college and even job applications. In college, service hours are what can distinguish you from other scholarship, job and graduate program applicants. Some college admission officers even mentioned that an applicant’s service hours have been why they were accepted over another applicant. They see volunteers as the type of people who are interested and actively involved in making their community a better place and will work to improve the college community as well. Community service can also help by being a great personal essay topic. What better way to show off your abilities than by being able to talk about the ways you have connected with and improved your community. Lastly, the company or people you do community service are often key people to ask for letters of recommendation. Because they can speak to your abilities to devote yourself to a cause, they can give an accurate painting of your character that can beef up your application.
Not only does community service look good on college applications but also on resumes when applying for a job. Especially when it comes to a long-term community service record, employers are pleased to see dedication, commitment and good teamwork skills. In addition, community service can lead to experience in a volunteer’s area of interest. For example, volunteering at a hospital if you are pursuing a career in healthcare sciences is a great way to show your hardworking nature and passion for the field you are applying to. Volunteering is a great way to develop the necessary skills needed to work in your desired field.
Annie Warnimont, an experiential learning career advisor at NSU, said, “Volunteering gives its participants an inside to professionalism and the workplace because they get exposed to different work areas and learn how to interact with everyone.”
Warnimont explained that these experiences can be invaluable— for instance, community service can help people gain better communication and management skills in a work environment. This can lead to volunteers making connections and potentially continuing on with that same company.
Community service has health benefits as well. Community service has been said to help fight depression because it keeps the volunteers in constant contact with people which can help with the social isolation often associated with depression. Additionally, volunteering at animal clinics or daycares can be a cathartic way to spend your time. Volunteering has also been said to be a great stress reliever. Helping others generally leads to an overall positive change in mood. It can boost your self-confidence, provide a sense of accomplishment, and help to develop one’s sense of identity and pride.
