Skills for Life | How I Won my Best ‘Dream’ Job in 2021

Skills for Life | Volunteer and Put Yourself in a Different Class

Being a volunteer means that you can make a great contribution to the community by doing something extremely worthwhile with your free time and gain experience at the same time.

Zetetick Housing provides supported living homes for vulnerable individuals with learning disabilities, autism and mental health problems, so all our volunteers end the day with that ‘warm glow’ of knowing their efforts have actively made a difference.

“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.”
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Benefits for volunteers

Being a volunteer not only benefits the organisation or charity you are volunteering for but also has tremendous benefits for the volunteer too.

Volunteering lends itself to personal development. Giving back to something worthwhile is one of the benefits with volunteering as it allows you to gain or polish your skills for life whilst feeling a sense of pride knowing that you are contributing to something extremely rewarding.

Additionally, volunteering has many social benefits. It is a way to meet new people, make new friends, socialise and ultimately have fun whilst developing your skills.

My experience of volunteering with Zetetick

Being a recent graduate and working in retail part-time, I wanted to find some work experience in the social media sector to enhance my CV, learn some new skills for life and above all contribute to something extremely worthwhile.

I came across Zetetick’s advert on the Do It volunteering website https://doit.life/, one of the places Zetetick advertises for volunteers. When I started I was instantly welcomed into the friendly and warm Zetetick team.

Social media

I had the responsibility of assisting with the social media posts, mainly Facebook and Instagram, in terms of creating and scheduling them for the upcoming weeks.

It was great volunteering for an organisation where my voice was heard and my ideas were listened to. There was also the perfect balance of receiving support and having independence with my work.

Volunteering improves employability

Volunteering with Zetetick has definitely provided me with skills for life. I have been able to develop my specialised social media skills, which will be skills for life, but also been able to meet new people and gain networking skills.

Having this rewarding volunteer work on my CV has allowed me to secure my dream job in the Marketing sector, therefore it has been an invaluable experience for me.

Also showing that you are willing to devote your personal time to helping with a good cause looks great to future employers, therefore it really is a win-win for all.

Not only this, but it has also allowed me to build long-lasting connections with the company and the people. I am reassured that I can still contribute to social media posts or upcoming articles in the future, as the team is always very open to hearing new ideas and suggestions.

Gardeners – get your hands dirty!

As well as social media volunteers Zetetick also needs volunteer gardeners in South London and Sussex.

If you have green fingers and a few hours a week to spare, you could help to make a huge difference to our tenants and their enjoyment of their home.

Spending time in and around nature and green spaces is so important for our mental health, and has become even more important since Covid-19. People with disabilities have suffered disproportionately during the pandemic, and the restrictions and changes to their normal routines have caused some of our tenants additional anxieties. Being able to spend time in a well-tended garden, where they can enjoy being calm and relaxed among the beauty of nature, will only enhance their wellbeing.

Become a volunteer today and get that ‘warm glow’

If you wish to become a volunteer with Zetetick, whether assisting with social media posts and writing articles for the website or gardening, your valuable time is greatly appreciated.

You will be making a real difference while gaining skills and experience, and get that ‘warm glow’ of joy and satisfaction in knowing you have done something to help others.

Find out more about becoming a volunteer here.