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Will to volunteer

TO REGISTER:Today careers come with their distant cousin- volunteers.

Will to volunteer

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Gauri Chhabra

Today careers come with their distant cousin- volunteers. For success in any career, a parallel road of volunteer always helps. It gives you an insight into the subtle nuances of life which a routine career might not provide you. Owing to this, almost everyone is going the volunteer route. And the image of a volunteer has also undergone a transformation. It is no more about performing mundane tasks, but brings about a canvas of creativity from learning to manage responsibility by caring for wounded wildlife or an executive sharing management skills with a community.

Students may choose to volunteer for a variety of reasons. You may just be a helping hand or do this to beef up your resume and improve your chances of being hired and leapfrog your career.

Some programmes that have a global outreach are:

UNITED NATION (UN) VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

If you are inspired to take concrete action for global peace and development, take a look at the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program. These UN volunteers work in some 130 countries promoting peace, responding to disasters, empowering communities and helping to build sustainable livelihoods and lasting development.

Being a UN volunteer is not a career; it is also not an entry route to the United Nations (you can apply to UN positions as an external candidate, but are expected to complete your UNV assignment). It is, however, rich with opportunities and experience and offers huge personal rewards.

How to Volunteer in UN?

If you have freewill, commitment, and want to engage and express solidarity for peace and development, you can join as a UN Volunteer. 

There are 3 types of UN Volunteer programs:

  • National UN Volunteers

These posts are open to Indian nationals only. UN Volunteer assignments are not salaried, but include a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA). The VLA is supposed to cover the cost of living and varies depending on the duty station. UN Volunteers are also provided with health & life insurance.

The minimum requirements to become a National UNV volunteer are as follows:

  • At least 22 years of age
  • Academic credentials - at least a bachelor's degree
  • Well-qualified and suitable older candidates can serve as National UN Volunteers up to an age covered by the life insurance carrier
  • n International UN Volunteers
  • International UN Volunteer serves in a country other than their own and they are recruited for specialised inputs to development or humanitarian programmes.

Requirements:

The requirements to become an International UN Volunteer vary depending on the specific assignment. In general, however, one could list the following as minimum requirements:

  • Bachelor or master's degree, or technical/vocational diploma
  • At least 2 years of relevant work experience
  • At least age 25 at the time of taking up an assignment
  • Complementary mix of professional expertise, volunteer spirit, dedication and motivation to share technical knowledge and skills. 
  • UNV maintains a global roster of candidates, which allows UNV to respond quickly to requests for volunteers. If you are interested in becoming an international UN Volunteer then register to the roster. UNV will contact you once you are matched to an open position. 
  • UN online Volunteers

UN Online Volunteers are individuals who commit their time and skills over the internet, freely and without financial considerations, for the benefit of society.

The Online Volunteering service offers a database of online volunteering opportunities submitted by development organisations worldwide. Interested individuals identify opportunities that match their interests, expertise and skills, and submit their applications directly to the organisations, which select the volunteers they would like to engage in their activities.

Students who are 18 or older can become UN Online Volunteers. 

To register, visit https://onlinevolunteering.org/en/org/index.html.

How to pitch?

A majority of assignments are filled from UNV's talent pool. Based on the description of assignment provided by the host agency, UNV searches its talent pool for profiles that match the requirements listed therein. Identified candidates are contacted and assignment details are shared with them in order to confirm their interest and availability. Candidates are then short-listed for the final selection process which is conducted by the host agency.

Only difficult, highly specialised or high volume assignments are advertised on the UNV website, social media and with professional associations. For posted assignments, you need to be registered in the talent pool and should also have a strong resume. 

GLOBAL VISION INTERNATIONAL (GVI)

Global Vision International (GVI) is a social enterprise that runs high impact volunteer and international education programmes. GVI is an award-winning organisation that tackles critical local and global issues by operating education and training programmes on sustainable development projects around the world. All programs are run in partnership with acclaimed international partners like Save The Children, WWF, The Red Cross, PADI, Project AWARE, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and the National Parks of South Africa, Costa Rica, Seychelles, Mexico and Thailand, among others.

Volunteer programme in GVI 

Volunteer work in India with GVI deals with major community development issues and huge gap between the rich and poor. Volunteer construction projects are necessary to help improve the infrastructure. They also have a variety of other volunteer in Asia options in countries like Thailand, Nepal and Laos.

There are many different programmes in GVI which will help students in different ways. 

Login to https://www.gvi.co.uk/find-a-program/ to find the best programme for you. 

RALEIGH INTERNATIONAL

Raleigh International is a sustainable development charity. It focuses on working through, for and with youth to inspire and make positive change in the different programmatic areas like: water, sanitation and hygiene, effective use of natural resource, building the resilience of vulnerable communities and building a youth leadership culture. They need volunteers from around the world to work side-by-side with communities to create lasting change. They have number of opportunities for people to join them in Tanzania, Malaysian Borneo, Nepal and Nicaragua & Costa Rica.

Volunteer programme in Raleigh

Raleigh runs two impactful volunteering programmes: Expedition and ICS (International Citizen Service). Whether you're still in school, taking a gap year, finished university or taking a break from work, they've got an opportunity that's right for you.

Raleigh Expeditions 

It is a unique opportunity to work on remote community and environmental projects and face adventure challenges in some of the most incredible areas of the world. That's why they include different people, projects, locations and challenges. There will be people like you and people from different backgrounds and cultures, including local volunteers from the expedition countries. 

International Citizen Service (ICS)

International Citizen Service (ICS) is a development programme that brings together young people from the developing countries to volunteer in some of the poorest communities around the world. The ICS programmes are delivered in Nepal, Nicaragua and Tanzania. ICS is led by VSO and funded by the UK Government. 

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT VOLUNTEERS (ISV)

International Student Volunteers (ISV), based in California, provides educational volunteer and travel adventure programmes to university students and youth internationally. It provides hundreds of conservation and community development projects in Australia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, New Zealand, South Africa, Thailand, Eastern Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania and Croatia), and the west coast of North America (USA, Canada and Mexico). It is the world's highest rated volunteer programme. It helps in supporting sustainable development initiatives around the world through life-changing student volunteer and responsible adventure travel programs designed to positively change our world and to educate, inspire and result in more active global citizens. There are many options for volunteers and the task of choosing the right volunteer program provider can be daunting.

  • The Ultimate 4-Week Programme

It involves a package of 2-week Volunteer Project followed by a 2-week Volunteer Project then 2 weeks on an action-packed Adventure Tour in the same host country. 

  • 2-Week  Programme

This programme is without the adventure tour. Contribute to sustainable development through carefully managed volunteer programmes that focus on local environmental and community development initiatives. Be more than a tourist; become an active global citizen by contributing your energy on projects that truly make a difference.

  • High School Programme

This offers a perfect opportunity to students aged 15-18 to learn about global issues and how they can make a difference. Combining service learning projects, cultural immersion and an educational adventure tour, this programme provides an excellent framework.

Advantage point

Beefs your resume

If you have to build your resume, volunteering helps. Potential employers want to see what you have been busy in, so show them how you took the initiative to volunteer at a local non-profit and be specific about what you did. For instance, if you have been associated with an organisation dealing with gender issues, be specific about your role. Being the leader or creating a new and helpful tool will prove to the potential employer that you will be an asset to their organisation.

Adds skills

Volunteering equips you with skills that are not honed in a formal classroom setting. It equips you with valuable professional skills, such as time management and strategic planning. You also get exposed to core workplace activities, such as: "communication, line management, teamwork and using your initiative. These skills short circuit your chances of getting hired.

Helps you test the waters

If you are contemplating an entry into a career or a career transit, volunteering in the same field would help you test the waters before you take the plunge. In volunteer work, it often happens that you start by doing something you know you are very good at and eventually branch out, frequently into things that you never thought you could do. It provides you with valuable experiences that can make you more competitive in your new work field. Also, gives you good insight on what working in it will be like. That way you can be doubly sure of a profession without putting much of your money and effort into it.

Boosts confidence

Volunteering can boost your self-confidence, self-esteem and life satisfaction. One of the benefits of volunteering is that it gives you a very close look on how your actions are impacting those around you. 

Gives a sense of direction

We all have a sob story to tell - a story that has left a vacuum in us. Volunteering helps fill it up. Helping others may help you overcome personal struggles and give your life new meaning and a sense of purpose. It takes your mind off of your worries and the new experiences and people you meet may even make you arrive at new solutions for them. It tells you that people have tread the path you are treading and you are not in it alone.

First Person

How did you apply for the volunteer-ship at UN?

As a student of Bachelor of Design at IIT, Mumbai, volunteerism & social work is highly appreciated by the faculty. During summer break, I was looking for some meaningful assignments. While, there were plethoras of opportunities, most of them were run of the mill. I was looking for something to test my design knowledge and capabilities.  It was while I was searching the net, that I came across the website of United Nation Volunteers ( https://www.unv.org/ ). From this website, I got to know the dimensions of volunteerism and the kind of volunteer work, people are doing all over the world. Under United Nations, there are three kind of volunteer work. Working abroad as volunteer; working in your own country as a volunteer or online volunteer. With the limited time on hand, I opted for online volunteering and searched for design related work area.  I chose to work for Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations.  Surely, next step is to work as volunteer in the field. Working as a volunteer, gives me a certain sense of satisfaction and achievement. 

What is the duration of the programme?

There is no fixed duration of the project. Especially, online assignments are short duration of 4 to 6 weeks. However, field assignment can last from 6 to 12 months with possibilities of renewal. 

How has this volunteer programme helped you in your career?

My personal experience of working as Online Volunteer for United Nations has been highly satisfying. I can conclude it in one word. I am a better 'Human Being' today. Working with agencies in different countries with different time zones and meeting stringent timelines has made me a better professional and working as volunteer has made me a better human being. Doing these volunteer assignments, learning has been at both professional and personal level. As a professional, I have learnt to work in a global environment with different time zones and different languages. Working to meet deadlines, online interactions and skyping to understand client requirements and submission of iterations of design work has added to my professional learning. As a person, I feel 'Volunteer' is just one word but it encompasses dedication, devotion, inspiration and humanity. It has made me a better human. 

As an Indian citizen, I feel proud that from candidates all over the world, I was assigned multiple tasks from two different countries.

 

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