The benefits of volunteering

Q: What are the chances of being hired after a period of volunteering?

A: Anecdotal evidence suggests that volunteering for any period of time is effective for people searching for jobs in nonprofits. For others, it's helpful personally and sometimes professionally.

Employers want applicants who contribute to the community. Rich volunteer experience will make you stand out, particularly if it's where your heart is. The route from volunteering to jobs in business may be indirect, according to Heidi Rustin, a managing director at the executive search firm Herbert Mines Associates in New York City. However, she maintains that it helps "keep your psyche in balance."

She suggests trying this out: Identify where employees of companies that interest you volunteer. Call HR or check community relations on the company website. Volunteer where they are to get possible contacts for interviews.

Louis Cimini volunteered for Katrina relief and developed a consulting cadre handling organizational and process issues. He also used his story in interviews and today is vice president of Human Resources, The Americas, for Samsonite Corporation in Mansfield, Mass.

Add a new dimension to your story by volunteering wisely when job hunting.

STEPS

Q: I applied for a teaching job via an affirmative action publication, but the school refuses to acknowledge its posting and deadline, saying they are no longer recruiting. I applied within the deadline and am a viable disabled candidate. What can I do about this situation in order to get considered? I'm just trying to follow their lead. Thank you. 

A: You can't be certain you haven't been considered. The only certainty you face is a concluded search.

The employer is providing very vague clues about what's transpiring. The job may have been filled. It may not have been funded. The job description might be obsolete in light of a decision to hire a consultant, a temporary. You just don't know. A new person might already be on board or in the wings elsewhere there. For you, it's over. Accept that.

Dig to find out why the search has ended if you'd still like to work there. Might the search reopen or might a similar job come up? Get feedback on your application.

Meanwhile, persuade another institution to create a job similar to this one and hire you to do it. Shoot for tailor-made.

(Dr. Mildred Culp welcomes your questions at culp@workwise.net. © 2011 Passage Media. The opinions are solely those of the writer.)