Job-seekers, graduates and the like are all aware of the increasing pressure to have a lot more on your CV than just qualifications. Volunteering, work experience and For many, this can seem like a daunting prospect. Dedicating your free time to pursuits that will help you gain experience and expand your skill base couldn’t be important enough. Luckily, Career Savvy are on hand with some top tips on how to get your CV full to the brim with relevant experience!
Becoming an Intern
Interning can get a bad press, mostly because the work is often unpaid and the tasks can be menial. However, this is not always the case. While as an intern your responsibility will be limited, you will inevitably be given some tasks that go above and beyond anything you could learn in a lecture hall. Being in the environment of the industry you want to get into with be invaluable experience. By osmosis, you will pick up technical terms, learn how the company do business and be able to observe those in a role you aim to be in. When you approach companies requesting an internship, make sure you express a real interest to get to know their company better. Make sure you’re request doesn’t sound too one-sided – mention what you can bring to the table in terms of help, rather than just focusing on what experience you would get out of it.
Volunteering
This can be a great chance to improve your CV while also getting a rewarding experience. When it comes to volunteering, the options as to what you can do are pretty much endless. And another bonus is that volunteers are always in demand. If you can get involved in a voluntary role that’s relevant to your desired career path – even better. For instance, if you want to work with children, offer to help out in a school assisting with reading or similar activities. Other ideas include fundraising, marshaling at events, running sports teams to getting involved in at organization, such as St. John’s Ambulance or the Scout Association. Volunteering has different benefits to work experience as it shows a willingness to dedicate free time over a longer period in order to help others. It also helps you develop skills over time, rather than an intense couple of weeks.
The skills you pick up through voluntary roles turn out to be essential when you apply for jobs and reach interview stages. These include organization, team leadership and team work. Delving deeper into these, you can gain experience in interpersonal skills such as helping to motivate others, problem solving, being a part of large projects and coming up with creative ideas.
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