Out of Work? Report Shows Volunteering Can Help You Get Hired

If you've lost your job, your best path back into the working world may be connecting with a local volunteer agency, such as Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley or Cedar Valley United Way. 

"When people volunteer their time to help others, it shows their character and their care for the community, and I think employers look at that as a positive," said Sarah Parsons, marketing director for United Way. "It shows they care for people beyond themselves." 

A new report finds that volunteers have a 27 percent better chance of finding work than those that don't volunteer. For those without a high school diploma or live in rural areas, volunteering increases the odds drastically, 51 percent and 55 percent, respectively. 

This comes from “Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment: Does Volunteering Increase Odds of Finding a Job for the Out of Work?" which is a report from the Research & Evaluation Office within the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency for service and volunteering.

The report uses empirical research to explore the relationship between volunteering and employment, according to its methodology.  

Gaining new skills, expanding your social network and getting a foot in the door at place you eventually work are among the ways the volunteering helps. 

The unemployment rate in Black Hawk County is 4.5 percent, compared to a 4.7 percent rate statewide.

People looking for volunteer opportunities in Cedar Falls area may want to check out the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley blog on Patch.