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The Importance of Volunteering for Career Changers: Advice from a Career Coach.
- pauseandempower
- Jun 7
- 5 min read
Last week was Volunteers' Week 2026, a national celebration of the incredible people who give their time, energy and skills to support causes they care about. 🌟
Now, if you've been following my recent articles, you may have noticed a bit of a pattern emerging. At the moment, I seem to be running about a week behind on my chosen topics! So, my apologies for arriving fashionably late to the Volunteers' Week party. 🎉
Hopefully I'll be back on track next week, but volunteering is far too important a subject to skip over simply because the calendar has moved on.
As a Career Coach, I regularly see the transformational impact volunteering can have on women navigating periods of change. Whether you're considering a career change, returning to work after a break, rebuilding confidence after redundancy, or looking for a greater sense of purpose, volunteering can provide opportunities that are often overlooked.
In fact, volunteering can be one of the smartest, most accessible and most rewarding career development tools available. 🌱
So, even if I'm a week late, let's shine a spotlight on why volunteering deserves a place in every career changer's toolkit.
One of the most powerful yet overlooked tools available to career changers is volunteering. 🌱
Many people dismiss volunteering because it is unpaid. They worry it won't "count" on a CV or that employers won't value it. In reality, volunteering can become the bridge between where you are now and where you want to be.
Why Volunteering Matters
Changing careers can feel like standing on one side of a river, staring at the opposite bank. You can see where you want to go, but you can't quite see how to get there.
Volunteering often provides the stepping stones.
According to a 2024 article by PeoplePlus, volunteering allows individuals to develop valuable transferable skills such as leadership, communication, teamwork and problem-solving whilst demonstrating initiative and commitment to professional development.
These are precisely the skills employers seek across almost every sector.
Whether you want to move into HR, marketing, education, community work, charity leadership, administration or healthcare, volunteering provides an opportunity to gain practical experience without waiting for someone to hand you your dream job. 🚀
Test Drive Your Future Career
One of the biggest fears career changers face is making the wrong move.
What if you retrain and discover you don't actually enjoy the work?
The National Careers Service highlights that volunteering can help people test different career paths before committing to them. It allows you to explore roles, gain experience and discover what genuinely interests you.
Think of volunteering as a career "test drive". 🚗
Interested in teaching? Volunteer with youth groups or at a school.
Curious about social media? Help a local charity with their online presence.
Considering healthcare? Support a community organisation working with vulnerable people.
Rather than relying on assumptions, volunteering gives you first-hand experience.
Build Confidence Alongside Skills
Many career changers are battling more than a skills gap.
They are battling a confidence gap.
After redundancy, divorce, caring responsibilities, menopause, illness or simply years in the same role, it's easy to start questioning your value.
Volunteering offers a gentle way back into professional environments.
You get opportunities to contribute, solve problems, meet new people and achieve meaningful outcomes.
Every successful project, event, fundraiser or committee meeting becomes evidence that you are capable, valuable and employable. 💪
Confidence rarely arrives before action.
More often, confidence follows action.
Fill the "Experience Gap"
One of the most frustrating challenges for career changers is the classic catch-22:
"You need experience to get the job, but you need the job to get the experience."
Volunteering can help break that cycle.
A recent 2026 article by James Andrews Recruitment Solutions highlights that volunteering is increasingly viewed by employers as evidence of initiative, adaptability, stakeholder engagement and professional capability. The article notes that volunteering is particularly valuable for career changers, returners and individuals with employment gaps.
In other words, volunteering can provide fresh, relevant examples for your CV and interviews. 🎯
Instead of saying:
"I think I could manage projects."
You can say:
"Whilst volunteering for a local charity, I coordinated a fundraising event attended by 150 people."
That's a very different conversation.
Grow Your Network Naturally
Many jobs are never advertised publicly.
They are filled through conversations, recommendations and relationships.
Volunteering introduces you to people from different industries, professions and backgrounds. 🤝
You may meet:
Charity trustees
Small business owners
HR professionals
Marketing specialists
Community leaders
Recruiters
These connections can provide advice, introductions, references and opportunities you would never have discovered from scrolling job boards alone.
Networking often sounds intimidating.
Volunteering makes it feel natural.
You're not "networking."
You're simply working alongside people who share a common purpose.
How to Choose the Right Volunteer Opportunity
Not all volunteering opportunities are equal when it comes to supporting a career change.
Be strategic.
Ask yourself:
What skills do I want to develop?
Examples might include:
Leadership
Public speaking
Administration
Project management
Social media
Coaching
Event management
What sector interests me?
Look for organisations connected to your desired field.
What evidence do I want for my CV?
Choose opportunities that allow you to demonstrate measurable achievements.
For example:
✔ Managed volunteers
✔ Organised events
✔ Raised funds
✔ Created content
✔ Improved processes
✔ Supported service users
These examples translate well into job applications and interviews.
Don't Undersell Your Volunteering
This is a mistake I see frequently.
People add volunteering to the bottom of their CV under "Hobbies and Interests."
No!
If the experience is relevant, treat it like a professional role. ⭐
Include:
Responsibilities
Achievements
Outcomes
Skills developed
Use action-focused language.
For example:
"Coordinated a team of 12 volunteers to deliver a community fundraising event raising £4,500."
That sounds far more impactful than:
"Helped at charity events."
Start Small if Necessary
Some people imagine volunteering requires huge commitments.
It doesn't.
Even a few hours per month can make a difference.
The National Careers Service advises people to be flexible and creative when seeking volunteering opportunities, recognising that even smaller roles can help build valuable skills and experience.
Remember, this isn't about collecting endless volunteer roles.
It's about gaining meaningful experience that moves you closer to your goals.
Final Thoughts
Volunteering won't magically transform your career overnight.
However, it can provide something incredibly valuable:Momentum. 🌟
It helps you build skills, confidence, experience, networks and evidence of your capabilities.
Most importantly, it helps you move from thinking about change to actively creating it.
If you're considering a career change, don't underestimate the power of giving a little of your time.
You may discover that whilst you're helping others, you're also helping yourself move towards a more fulfilling future.
Ready for Your Next Chapter?
If you're navigating career change, redundancy, menopause, returning to work or simply wondering what comes next, career coaching can help you identify your strengths, clarify your direction and create a practical action plan.
I'd love to support you on that journey.
Get in touch through Pause and Empower for a free 30 minute ‘discovery call’ and let's explore what your next chapter could look like. 🌱
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