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unteer work can pave
way to full-time position
Giving back is also paying forward. been active and engaged, and haven’t simply been THE MORNING CALL THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015
As executive director of One brushing up on your Xbox skills.
Brick: Volunteering Made Easy,
Clive Charlwood knows the Q: Can volunteer work translate well into a
value that volunteers add to the paying position?
workforce. One Brick chapters
nationwide help local nonprofit and community A: When you volunteer, you’re often able to take
organizations by creating a social and flexible on tasks and challenges you may not be offered
volunteer environment for “those interested in in your day job. You meet people from across the
making a concrete difference in the community.” community. Also, if you’re interested in working in
the nonprofit world, then One Brick is a great way
One Brick volunteer opportunities range from to connect with dozens of different nonprofits.
stuffing envelopes and sorting donations to working
at food pantries, ushering for plays, registering Q: Why might some employers find volunteer
participants for fund-raising events and filling care work valuable?
packets for the homeless. There are One Brick
chapters in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, A: Volunteering can add new skills to your
L.A., Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, Orlando, resume. Volunteers are (typically viewed as) group/
San Francisco, Seattle, Washington-D.C. and team/community-oriented, active, engaged and
California’s Silicon Valley. sociable, decent and caring.
Across all chapters, One Brick provides Q: What are ways for applicants to let a
volunteers year round. Participants must be at least potential employer know their volunteer work
21. Since its inception in 2001, One Brick has has made them well-qualified for a job?
provided more than 500,000 volunteer hours to
communities served. A: Volunteering is “work,” and it should be listed
in the same section as paid positions (and not hidden
The beauty of the organization is that “we enable with the bullets that say you like to play chess).
people to get involved, have an impact and have In that section, you should describe the volunteer
fun, without the requirements of individual long- work you’ve done and the skills and the experience
term commitments,” said Charlwood, who also you’ve acquired.
serves as chapter director for One Brick-Silicon
Valley. Q: In your experience, does volunteer work
often lead to being offered a paid job with a
Volunteer work offers a wealth of benefits for all certain company, nonprofit or group?
concerned and can be especially valuable for those
seeking paid, full-time work. Here’s Charlwood’s A: I don’t have any hard data. However, I know
take on using volunteer work to your advantage many, many people who started volunteering when
when searching for a permanent position: they were “between jobs.” Volunteering helped
keep them engaged and motivated to continue the
SEARCH Q&A search. It’s also a cheap way to get out of the house.
Q: How can volunteer work Q: Do you have any examples of workers
who’ve used volunteer experience to land a paid
be helpful when applying for job?
and starting a full-time job? A: Our chapter director in Philly was the primary
driver behind the launch of the chapter. During the
A: Prospective employers process, she volunteered for a volunteer coordinator
position. The hiring manager told her they hired
recognize — and encourage her because of her experience and dedication to
volunteering.
— volunteering. I don’t have
Q: Are there any other ways volunteer work
a lot of hard data to prove it; Charlwood can help someone get a job?
just feedback from volunteers.
A: It can’t be understated — volunteering is a
There is a survey from the United Kingdom that great way to stay motivated and network.
said 80 percent of employers value volunteer Q: What’s a good way to get started as a
volunteer?
experience. It gives you something to talk about in
A: People should simply give it a try. Signing up
the interview. with One Brick (onebrick.org) is simple. You just
click on an RSVP button and show up. Best of all
One of the most difficult interview questions is, it’s fun and free.
“What have you been doing since you left your last — Erinn Hutkin, Tribune Content Agency Volunteer work offers a wealth of benefits for all concerned and can be
especially valuable for those seeking paid, full-time work.
job?” Answering that you volunteer shows you’ve 33
way to full-time position
Giving back is also paying forward. been active and engaged, and haven’t simply been THE MORNING CALL THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015
As executive director of One brushing up on your Xbox skills.
Brick: Volunteering Made Easy,
Clive Charlwood knows the Q: Can volunteer work translate well into a
value that volunteers add to the paying position?
workforce. One Brick chapters
nationwide help local nonprofit and community A: When you volunteer, you’re often able to take
organizations by creating a social and flexible on tasks and challenges you may not be offered
volunteer environment for “those interested in in your day job. You meet people from across the
making a concrete difference in the community.” community. Also, if you’re interested in working in
the nonprofit world, then One Brick is a great way
One Brick volunteer opportunities range from to connect with dozens of different nonprofits.
stuffing envelopes and sorting donations to working
at food pantries, ushering for plays, registering Q: Why might some employers find volunteer
participants for fund-raising events and filling care work valuable?
packets for the homeless. There are One Brick
chapters in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, A: Volunteering can add new skills to your
L.A., Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, Orlando, resume. Volunteers are (typically viewed as) group/
San Francisco, Seattle, Washington-D.C. and team/community-oriented, active, engaged and
California’s Silicon Valley. sociable, decent and caring.
Across all chapters, One Brick provides Q: What are ways for applicants to let a
volunteers year round. Participants must be at least potential employer know their volunteer work
21. Since its inception in 2001, One Brick has has made them well-qualified for a job?
provided more than 500,000 volunteer hours to
communities served. A: Volunteering is “work,” and it should be listed
in the same section as paid positions (and not hidden
The beauty of the organization is that “we enable with the bullets that say you like to play chess).
people to get involved, have an impact and have In that section, you should describe the volunteer
fun, without the requirements of individual long- work you’ve done and the skills and the experience
term commitments,” said Charlwood, who also you’ve acquired.
serves as chapter director for One Brick-Silicon
Valley. Q: In your experience, does volunteer work
often lead to being offered a paid job with a
Volunteer work offers a wealth of benefits for all certain company, nonprofit or group?
concerned and can be especially valuable for those
seeking paid, full-time work. Here’s Charlwood’s A: I don’t have any hard data. However, I know
take on using volunteer work to your advantage many, many people who started volunteering when
when searching for a permanent position: they were “between jobs.” Volunteering helped
keep them engaged and motivated to continue the
SEARCH Q&A search. It’s also a cheap way to get out of the house.
Q: How can volunteer work Q: Do you have any examples of workers
who’ve used volunteer experience to land a paid
be helpful when applying for job?
and starting a full-time job? A: Our chapter director in Philly was the primary
driver behind the launch of the chapter. During the
A: Prospective employers process, she volunteered for a volunteer coordinator
position. The hiring manager told her they hired
recognize — and encourage her because of her experience and dedication to
volunteering.
— volunteering. I don’t have
Q: Are there any other ways volunteer work
a lot of hard data to prove it; Charlwood can help someone get a job?
just feedback from volunteers.
A: It can’t be understated — volunteering is a
There is a survey from the United Kingdom that great way to stay motivated and network.
said 80 percent of employers value volunteer Q: What’s a good way to get started as a
volunteer?
experience. It gives you something to talk about in
A: People should simply give it a try. Signing up
the interview. with One Brick (onebrick.org) is simple. You just
click on an RSVP button and show up. Best of all
One of the most difficult interview questions is, it’s fun and free.
“What have you been doing since you left your last — Erinn Hutkin, Tribune Content Agency Volunteer work offers a wealth of benefits for all concerned and can be
especially valuable for those seeking paid, full-time work.
job?” Answering that you volunteer shows you’ve 33
