Volunteering: Helping Others Helps You!
Volunteering can help you learn more about yourself and even put you on a path to your future career.
Take a look at helps students.
Learn Ten Reasons Students Should Volunteer
- Build your resume. If you have never had a job, then volunteering is a must. It is the
perfect way to add work-related experience to your resume. Even if you have had multiple
jobs, volunteering can benefit you because it shows the employer you are serious about
getting involved and improving your skills. - Develop transferable skills. Employers are looking for skills that are easily transferred to聽different areas. Some of these skills are: teamwork, interpersonal communication, public speaking, time management, leadership, organization, analysis, computer聽skills, problem solving and creative thinking. Plus, learning to be dependable and responsible will prepare you to be a good
employee. - Explore career opportunities. It鈥檚 hard to聽know what you want to do with your life by聽reading a job profile. There are many聽assessments and tools to help in this process聽but volunteering can be just as effective. You will see first-hand what professionals in聽various fields do. This can show you the pros聽and cons of certain jobs. You may have an聽eye-opening experience that gives your life different direction.
- Networking. We have all heard the saying,聽鈥淚t鈥檚 not what you know but who you know.鈥澛燱hile this statement isn鈥檛 100 percent聽accurate because what you learn in college is聽valuable, there is some truth to it. Having聽contacts in the business world may lead to聽jobs. Interacting with different people in a volunteer setting could really open doors for聽you as an applicant.
- Learn things you can鈥檛 learn in the聽classroom. Be exposed to different parts of聽the community, different cultures, beliefs and聽values. College is a time to figure out who you are and what you want to do the rest of your聽life. Learning about new things can shape that聽path. Plus, you will be able to you are learning in the classroom apply to the聽real world.
- Get a reference. Getting that first job out of聽college can be difficult, especially without聽work experience. Employers always check聽references and while having one or two聽college professors listed will be helpful, having聽someone else who can speak to your work聽ethic and abilities can be priceless. Make sure聽you treat any volunteer opportunity like a job聽by being on time, asking for time off, and聽providing two weeks鈥 notice when you decide聽to leave.
- Make new friends. Who wouldn鈥檛 want聽another opportunity to make more friends?聽You may see the same people every day at聽school, in the residence halls, and in the聽dining halls, but volunteering will expose you聽to a different crowd, most likely with similar聽interests.
- Prepare for graduate school. If you have聽thought about attending graduate school,聽volunteering may be just the thing to set you聽apart. Graduate admissions officers are聽looking for well-rounded students. They want聽to see that you did more in college than live in聽the library. Plus it shows that you care about聽contributing to society and being a聽responsible citizen.
- Do some good. Volunteering will allow you to聽get involved with a worthy cause and聽potentially change lives and make a聽difference. You will learn to have empathy and聽to see the world from a different perspective.
- Volunteering isn鈥檛 a full-time commitment. Volunteer hours can be minimal. Three hours聽tutoring children on Saturday mornings or one聽night a week serving at the homeless shelter will still help you accomplish your volunteer聽goals. Most volunteer commitments allow you聽time to still be heavily involved on campus or聽work part-time while maintaining your grades. BONUS: You will enjoy it! It feels good to help聽other people and you know you are making a聽difference. Volunteering can be a fun way to get聽involved in great programs that help your fellow聽community members.
For career development, contact:
SDSU Office of Career Development
Center for Student Engagement, The Union
605.688.4425
For part-time and work-study, contact:
SD Department of Labor and Regulation
Larson Commons 103D
605.688.6668
STEM+ Point Documentation
STEM Academy students are expected to earn STEM+ Points. STEM+ Points are earned by participating in activities above and beyond the classroom time and are designed to extend and enrich your STEM knowledge and experience.
STEM+ Points are earned a number of different ways, and different activities are worth a different number of points. A Code Word will be provided for each STEM+ Point opportunity. You will need this code word to log your points.
- Lunch and Learn
- Mentor Meetings
- Spark Surveys
- Field Trips
- Participating in a STEM-related activity, club or team
- STEM-related competitions
- Serving as a STEM Ambassador
STEM+ Points are documented quick and easy on the