Have you currently finished your business studies or have you been working in an office for quite some years? Are you looking for an opportunity to combine your knowledge with the great outdoors and with a cause to do something good? Then you should consider volunteering in business.
Business is one of the categories that is usually the least connected to volunteer work. However, there is no better vehicle in the world that can help bring about change as quickly as businesses can. And the reason for that is quite simple: it’s money. There are many programs that are in need of someone with a business background, but that is not necessarily a requirement. No matter if you feel more at home in the finance or in the marketing sector, joining firms trying to make a difference as a business volunteer is a great way to make a quick but lasting impact.
[accordion]
[item title=”Benefits of volunteering in Business”]
- Creative solution approaches: Limited resources and manpower to face ecological and economical problems often lead to the need of a creative mind. Seeing how people in different countries approach a business problem and how they find solutions is a valuable learning experience for a volunteer in business and definitely increases your own creativity in terms of problem solving.
- Rewarding for your health: Due to several studies, former volunteers reported that their volunteer experience made them feel healthier, less stressed in life and overall, increased their self-confidence and life satisfaction. Especially in the business sector, stress has a big impact on the people involved. Deadlines are always at your site. Therefore, being away from the normal stress and exposing yourself to a new culture and their way of dealing with e.g. a deadline will help you to strengthen your mentality and to stay healthy.
- Career boost and experience: If you’re still not sure where your future career might lead you, volunteering in business is a great way to get experience in a field of your interest. Even if you’re not directly looking for career experience yet, it gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, project planning or task management.
[/item]
[/accordion]
Interest fields of business volunteers
Administration
As a volunteer in administration you can help and support organisations that for their part take care of locals or the environment. Included are activities that relate to a typical office support such as documenting the work of the organisation, participating in business evaluations, translating documents and suggesting a work plan for the upcoming periods.
Finance and Fundraising
Not only volunteering in business requires financial support, but volunteering in general as well. If you want to volunteer as, for example, a Fundraising Officer or a Community Fundraising Assistant, you can have a big impact on the financial aid that the programs receive. Your work consists of assisting in the development and implementation of fundraising campaigns, the planning and managing of fundraising events, the development of donor materials as well as the acquisition of possible donors. This means that even if you are, by definition, doing an office job, you are mainly out there promoting the good cause of your program.
Management
Being a volunteer in management offers you a very broad field of possible tasks. On the one hand you can be participating as a program coordinator, which means that you handle aspects of recruitment, vetting and supporting the volunteers before they arrive at the program’s site. Or you can share your skills as an NGO manager where you assist the local program directors in managing activities and financial accountability tasks or you provide the new volunteers with insight into the running of an NGO. A typical NGO administration & management volunteer needs to be enthusiastic, willing to learn and ready for a challenge!
Marketing
You are interested in photography? You love to write about your experiences and what happens around you in articles or in a blog? Is communication a very important aspect for you? Then you should definitely have a look into volunteering in marketing. You can either participate in the creation of documenting photographs and videos for the biologists that research the local’s flora and fauna, or you can raise children’s and adolescent’s awareness of their rights through multimedia strategies by coming up with your own project ideas or you can gain information and hence blog about the local’s culture on the organisation’s website to inform future interested volunteers. In this category of volunteering in business there are no limits for you to be creative!
Microfinance
The category of volunteering in microfinance is very important. Microfinance takes care of offering financial services and education to low-income earners and small trades. You will be involved in numerous activities such as teaching and offering financial advice, keeping record of different accounts and helping the small businesses to become self-sustainable. Thus, you are not only helping at the moment that you are at site, but with a forecast that can spread over the upcoming years!
Supported locations for business volunteers
Because more and more programs are in the need of someone with a business background, there are multiple programs worldwide that offer you an experience in volunteering in business. Click on the map to see which opportunities are currently available.
Required skill set for a business volunteer
[accordion]
[item title=”Patience”]Number one priority when it comes to required skills is patience. Keep in mind that the community you might be working with may not be trained or educated very well and therefore, the working progress can be a little bit slow. Furthermore, different cultures mean different working habits, so if you come from a country with set working hours and schedules, you might be surprised how other countries handle these issues.[/item]
[item title=”Teamwork”]Crucial for the success of a volunteering in business program is the ability of all volunteers and local workers to work together as a team. You are usually included into an on-going project and hence it is important for you to be able to listen to what the people around you have to say and to bring in as much of you as possible at the same time.[/item]
[item title=”Creativity”]As curious as it might sound at first, being creative is an important aspect for volunteering in business. Your originality and innovativeness can have a big impact on the upcoming projects and their outcomes.[/item]
[/accordion]
Typical program expectations for volunteering in business
- Average duration: 5 – 33 weeks
- Average fee: $230 / week
- Average working hours: 9.00 am – 15.00 pm
- Requirements: Basic English, minimum age of 18 years, university degree, health declaration,
How to Apply
After reading so much about your opportunities to make a difference as a volunteer you’re probably interested how you can apply for your favourite project in particular. Just follow these steps and you’re free to volunteer abroad in no time.
[columns_row width=”third”]
[column]
![[Unbenannt]](https://volunteerworld.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Unbenannt-150x150.jpg)
Find Opportunities
Browse your program in Business and have look at which program you would like to help. Choose where to volunteer and which cause you prefer to support.
[/column]
[column]
Send Application
Go to the program page of your favourite volunteer program and click on “Apply” on the right sidebar. Set the date for your stay, cross check your personal information, upload the required documents and click “send application” afterwards.
[/column]
[column]
Receive Invitation
If you’re accepted, the social project will send you an official invitation, including your duration and program fees. Accept the invitation to reserve your spot.
[/column]
[/columns_row]
Now you have all the information you need to find your perfect match for your volunteering in business trip! All you have to do now is browse through the various programs on Volunteer World.
This platform is all about making volunteering simple and transparent. Featuring more than 500 volunteer programs in 70+ countries, it is a one-stop resource for volunteer abroad opportunities. If your are interested in other categories or ways to volunteer abroad, click here for more inspiration.
Comments are closed.