( CareerBuilder.com ) -- Volunteering in your community can be rewarding for many reasons -- you get to help others , give back to your community and hopefully enjoy some personal growth along the way . Volunteering may help with professional growth as well -- by gaining new experiences and meeting new people , you may just end up with a new job . `` Anyone who 's interested in taking charge of their career , whether they are currently employed or not , should volunteer , '' says Marsha Egan , career coach and workplace productivity expert . `` It is perhaps one of the best kept career development secrets . Not only is it a great opportunity to network , but it 's a wonderful chance to learn how to motivate in a positive way , become a leader and fine-tune organizational skills . The fact that you are giving back to [ the ] community and going to feel good about it -- that 's an amazing bonus too . '' 3 reasons why volunteering can help with your job search : . It adds to your résumé . A volunteering stint is a great addition to your résumé . It can help round out your experience and show that you not only have built professional skills but interpersonal ones as well . It can also help fill a gap in your résumé -- if you 've been out of a job for a while , you can speak to how you took advantage of that time to help others in your community . It allows you to develop new skills or foster existing ones . Jim Feldman , author of `` Shift Happens ! No Job , No Money , Now What ? Reinvent Yourself Using Innovative Solutions , '' notes that when volunteering , you 'll meet others , obtain new experiences and learn new job skills . Feldman suggests that you talk to the volunteer coordinators about what skills you have or you 'd like to develop , and they 'll usually provide some training to get you off the ground . Even if the skills you learn do n't exactly transfer over to a potential job opportunity , it 'll show prospective employers that you are up for trying new things and taking on new challenges . It helps you meet new people and network . Volunteering allows you to meet people you probably would n't have otherwise met and expose you to others with different backgrounds and perspectives . When volunteering for or attending charity events or fundraisers , strike up conversations with other volunteers or attendees . If appropriate , give out your contact information or ask for theirs . Sure , it might take you a bit out of your comfort zone , but you never know where it might lead . 3 tips for turning a volunteer opportunity into a potential job opportunity : . Be strategic about where you volunteer . Want to work in public relations ? Volunteer at a public relations trade organization or offer to handle the publicity for a charity event . Choosing an association or volunteer role that matches up with your background will not only help you hone your skills , but it 'll also allow you to meet people in that particular industry . Jeff Diana , chief people officer at SuccessFactors , an HR and business execution software company , stresses it 's also important to be passionate about and interested in the cause for which you 're volunteering . That enthusiasm will show when asked about it during a job interview . Diana recommends checking out sites such as Get Involved ! and Volunteer Match ; these sites can match you up with opportunities based on your interests . Do n't make it all about the job search . While volunteering can help connect you to new people and potential career opportunities , it should n't be the sole reason why you choose to give back . If you go into it purely thinking about what 's in it for you , not only will you lose out on the sense of accomplishment and enrichment it can bring , but others will likely see right through your intentions , which could cause a potential negative reaction . Treat everyone you meet as a potential influencer or employer . Mike Jaffe , career design and transition coach and founder of professional training and coaching company Jaffe Life Design , recommends treating everyone you volunteer with , or for , with respect . `` Always strive to be professional , reliable , effective and courteous , '' says Jaffe . `` You never know who someone knows , and their impression of you , good or bad , can become an asset and create new possibilities as they share their experience of you with others . Conversely , if they share a negative view of you with others , it could come back to bite you . '' So if you 're out of a job , or even have a job but want to expand your horizons , consider volunteering . Who knows where it might lead -- both personally and professionally ? & copy CareerBuilder.com 2011 . All rights reserved . The information contained in this article may not be published , broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority .
Take charge of your career by volunteering . Volunteering adds to your resume and allows you to develop new skills . Comment: