If you’re looking for your dream job, as I assume you are, you aren’t going to get it just
by attending classes and passing them. You aren’t going to make real world connections
when the only place you hang out in Buffalo is campus.
So how then, do you pave the way for your dream job? Volunteer!
I recently began volunteering at a youth shelter downtown. I go in once a week for a few
hours. They don’t ask for much, but the experience I am gaining and the connections I am
making are going to stay with me for a long time.
Besides being a resume builder, hanging out with the kids there with the intent of making
a positive difference in their lives brings me a sense of self fulfillment that would be hard
to get anywhere else.
Another reason I started volunteering is because I recently changed my career goals, right
as I am about to graduate, from politics to human services. Volunteering helps me gain
experience and knowledge about my field of interest without studying it in college.
I am a huge advocate of getting involved in one’s community, and there are tons of
options in Buffalo to get involved, for every major. From urban planning to art, and
biology to sociology, every student should be able to find an opportunity to suit their
desires.
People United for Sustainable Housing provides inexpensive, good quality housing and
opportunities for low-income residents in the city and is located in the heart of the West
Side community. Or for those interested in literacy tutoring and English as a second
language tutoring, there is Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo.
There are a multitude of organizations looking for people to spend time in nature and
with animals. For a good place to start, check out VolunteerBuffalo.com.
Volunteering is a great experience you might not otherwise get as a student. You can
gain real-world, hands-on experience and observe professionals in action. You will make
connections with people working in the field who can be used as future job references
and with employers who will remember the work you put in.
We all have to pay our dues, and volunteering your time without asking for cash in return
will show future employers that you are a serious and dedicated individual. So when you
leave the classroom, get out into the community and volunteer!
Ariel Peters can be reached by email at peters.record@live.com.