Rory Cullen, Kaizen Software Developer

Most professional career counselors will tell you that you should do some volunteer work while you’re looking for a new job. Their reasons are many, including:

1. You can make contacts
2. You can refresh or update your skills
3. You get out of your house and avoid a rut
4. It fills your time
5. You can do some good in the world (note: Some put this last, I don’t)

Of course, volunteerism is something you can do whether employed or not, but the unemployed may have more reasons aside from altruism.

After conversing with a fellow job seeker, I believe unemployed volunteers fall into a few categories:

1. Those looking to stay busy
2. Those looking to look busy, and hence not lazy while interviewing
3. Those looking to learn new skills for their next career move

It had been easy to stay busy while looking for my next role, so I certainly am most interested in #3. In fact, that is part of what this blog was all about in the beginning. My goal was to find places that might be able to put some of my skills to use, and thereby help expand my resume along the way. I have done a decent job doing this, but admit that there have been a lot of false starts as well.

As a full-time employee, I was always looking for a regular volunteer gig that would allow me to give a few hours per week, without getting overly involved. This was satisfied a few years back when a co-worker suggested I get involved with the Special Olympics. During the school year, I spend two hours per week bowling with my Special Olympic team, and it’s great. It’s an easy commitment, and it is “timeboxed.” It rarely impacts other commitments, and my role is clearly defined.

Fast-forward to this summer. Back in April, when launching this blog, I put out the call far and wide that I was searching for pro bono opportunities in the technical arena. My preference at the time was for Java roles, but I was also open for helping with any technical tasks in the greater web or database areas. I ended up volunteering to help a few groups who were in turn supporting job seekers through their organizations. In each case, I assumed I might be able to do a few hours work for each, and help them while building some skills. At the same time, I landed some work doing Java for another company, so I was really cooking.

Before I get to the warnings, here are some of the good things I’ve experienced:

1. Meeting good people: I have met some great people across my various activities. Some have become friends, and some will likely be great contacts in the future.
2. Contributing to worthy causes: I know that I have helped people and organizations become better. It’s the same thing I do in the for-profit arena. This is rewarding.
3. Getting positive feedback: It is incredibly rewarding to have people tell you that you have done a great job on a project. When you are out of the workforce, this is something you don’t hear enough. (And if you are not hearing this in your own job, think about that too!)
4. Building skills: I have mentioned it before, but I have expanded my skills through some projects this summer. My HTML and CSS skills have expanded. I know a lot more about WordPress, blogging, RSS and PHP. My Java skills have expanded drastically.
5. Filling the interview void: If you are out of work or under-employed, you will have current projects to talk about in your interviews. Even if the opportunities are outside your target industry, you can still talk about the skills you applied to make your volunteer time successful.

Now, lessons from experience (a.k.a. warnings!)

Lesson 1: Don’t play the field
Volunteers are like employees. They should be focused. Right away, I realized I had spread myself too thin. Most groups who I spoke with were seeking major overhauls to their websites, or other efforts of similar scope. These would involve weeks of concentrated effort, and possibly months of follow-up maintenance and monitoring. Once I found the ideal role doing Java work, I realized that much of the other work I was slated to do was going to have a negative impact on my job search. I did make one smart decision, which was to inform two groups that I would not have time for their projects. This proved the right decision, but was something that I have always found hard to do. Since that time, I have turned down or postponed other volunteer opportunities for this same reason. This is tough for me, as I hate to say no when asked for help.

Lesson 2: Beware: Volunteering for a start-up non-profit is like working for a start-up for-profit company.
The hours are long, management is inexperienced, and roles morph constantly. One of the groups I have been doing work for is a new organization. I volunteered to help with their website in April, and have filled various (non-web) roles for them. These included: Impromptu teleprompter, Tweeter, database designer, project coordinator. I did draw the line at some tasks that were clearly outside of my professional realm of interest, but not all. Again, my expectations were that I would spend “some” time volunteering with them, and most of my time doing other things. This fell apart finally in July, when they decided they wanted to redo their website. Over the next six weeks, I spent a majority of my time each week working on new site designs and the related work. This took away from the time I could put toward my job search, networking, and my other pro bono tasks. Although a rewarding project, the effort involved did have a negative impact on my job search in the short term.

Lesson 3: Set expectations
If you have time commitment concerns, set expectations right away. Speak with the volunteer coordinator. If there isn’t one, question why this is (or at least find your volunteer “boss”). Like a real job, find out the level of commitment and decide if you will be able to follow through before beginning. This is best for all sides. Find out if they need you ongoing, or just for a specific project.

Organizations that rely on volunteers do not want to lose good talent, like any other organization. They also may not be ready to put your talents to good use at the time they are offered. Find this out right away. If they need you for a project, then suggest that they contact you later, when that project is ready to go. If not, you may find yourself twiddling your thumbs in meetings, wondering why you are there, and soured on the experience while your skills are being squandered.

In Summary:
Volunteering can quickly become a 40-hour commitment before you know it. As a job seeker, remember your primary directive: To find a new paying job. No matter how much you may enjoy what you are doing, you need to consider the long-term implications. Ideally, consider these implications before you get too involved. Volunteerism is a great way to explore your passions, and you may find a passion that you wish to pursue full-time. Even so, you still need to think about the financial impact and reorganize your job search in that new direction.

I know that much of this post is a warning. I hope that it does not dissuade people from volunteering, but allows them to make better decisions instead. Most importantly, when you land a new job, keep volunteering. It’s good for you, and for your community.