While browsing various search engines to see if our upcoming Hands On Twin Cities Volunteer Expo is the largest in the country (and it is!), I found this interesting little article on Monster.com.

In case you don't want to read the whole thing, here are the highlights:

• Believe it or not, not everyone wants to go straight to the corporate world or graduate school after college.
• Volunteer work is an excellent way to serve your community and gain valuable work skills.
• Working as a paid employee for a nonprofit agency can simultaneously satisfy your desire to be altruistic and your need for adequate income.

That last bullet point was for comic relief. "Adequate income"...I wonder which non-profits they're talking about? Apparently the ones I've never heard of...

Kidding! Anyway, volunteering is a good way to supplement your work experience and pick up valuable refernces. Many non-profits and government agencies have administrative volunteer positions that are perfect for people who want to help out a worthwhile cause while gaining useful experience. It's a win-win situation!

Example: The Tree Trust. Among other programs related conservation and vocational training, the Tree Trust operates a Community Support Program. In this program, single mothers who have been out of the workforce for a number of years are placed in volunteer positions with local non-profits (frequently in an office environment) to help them gain work experience and potential references for their future resumes. The Tree Trust works to ensure that participant's public assistance for childcare and transportation are continued as long as she is active in the program. After a few months of steady volunteer work, Tree Trust participants have drastically improved their chances of securing employment that will enable them to be self-sufficient and provide for their children.

Interesting how volunteering can really improve your life while you're helping others.