Want A Job? The Chance To Go To An Elite University? Need Experience? Volunteer.
Hey guys! It feels like it's been so long since I've last sat down and written. A-levels ... is a-levels innit? There's no other words than to say it's like going on a roller coaster which is about to pick up speed anytime from now & at this point in time, I just want to get off!
But I probably will talk about my A-levels at some other point in the future because this post is all to do with volunteering.
I haven't really been involved in charity (Yes, I donate clothes and various things I no longer use but giving a large sum of money, visiting hospitals - I haven't done charity to that extent before).
But something dawned on me recently - I've done VOLUNTEERING 💪💪
This summer didn't turn out the way I expected but I did gain volunteering experience which is CRUCIAL. When I used to do work experience for a law firm/business back in Year 10 - the lady who had been my supervisor had said the way she got her job and did what she loved was through building her CV. And the best way to build it is through volunteering😏
Again, when doing an interview with my principal for sixth form, he recommended volunteering, especially if I wanted to pursue medicine as that's what I mentioned I wanted to do as an idea (because I really don't know what to do with myself right now).
So with volunteering, you can pretty much do it anywhere - I chose my local charity shop which was like 5 minutes away if I was staying with my grandparents. And I had to sign some forms, my grandma did also because she was the adult that had to confirm I could work because I was underaged - after that the rest was history!
I did volunteering for 2 months and honestly it was great. To get up at 11am was a draaaaag but I was okay. I didn't exactly tell anyone because... I didn't feel the need to 😏 Only my family knew about it to be honest and like 2 friends - that was it. Volunteering for the summer may not be as exciting as going on holiday, going out with friends or *insert anything exciting to do for summer* but the I'm reaping the benefits from it now. I recommend that if you're still young, looking for a job, need to build your CV and don't know what to do - v.o.l.u.n.t.e.e.r❗❗
It's pretty much up to you - I did mine in a charity shop. And although I didn't know the value of giving up my time (because I had so much of it then), the people I work with constantly told me that I was doing something that was vital. So even though I'm not giving hundreds of pounds to a charity of my choice which is something I want to do in the future, at least I'm doing SOMETHING - you feel me, y'all feel me😂💖
The benefits:
-I got my first job. Volunteering is basically how I got it. After 4 months of searching, rejections, disappointments, fall-throughs and just genuine frustration - I got a well paid job, I'm working for a global brand and I actually like what I do. I don't think I even would have got if I didn't volunteer as I used my volunteering experience as retail experience.
-More universities, employers and apprentices value people who volunteer. To volunteer says a lot about your character and your skills. If you volunteer in a few charity shop compared to someone who didn't - that's you on a higher step already. Consider it.
-Ideas on your future. I'm still yet to volunteer in a hospital, office and other various places. But I have an insight into the legal sector and of course retail.
-You discover things. If someone had ask me before would I have gone in a a charity shop to purchase anything - I would have said 'Nope' because I would prefer to just buy whatever it was brand new. And I still stand by that when it comes to clothes, shoes and jewellery due to hygiene (just a personal preference, I ain't knocking anyone who chooses to purchase any of those items from a charity shop) but guys when it comes to books - I'm deffo going to have a field day when it comes to purchasing books. Books that are current such as 'Gone Girl' was in the charity shop I worked in and was being sold at a price of 50p-£2. BARGAIN!!
-You meet people. Even though I didn't meet anyone of my age, it was nice talking to people a bit older about deep, intellectual things as opposed to the daily 'Guuuuuurll you won't believe what he told me'.
So yasss! That's it for me. I didn't want this post to be too long but you get the general gist of what I'm saying. Please consider it, it will make an impact (I'm proof💁) but thank you so much for reading.
If you would like to get involved you can click on the link HERE! I love and appreciate all of you that support me with this, until next time 💗💗
"What you give, you shall receive" - CECE Winans
