Posted 02 Feb 2009

Those who are currently out of work can use volunteering abroad or at home to boost their CV, it has been claimed.

The Times reported on one woman’s quest to gain employment after being made redundant and revealed that she found work after volunteering with a local charity.

Jo Wooley, who worked for Northern Rock for 20 years, commented: "It’s good for employers to see that you are not just sitting at home, that you’ve gone out and done something constructive rather than sitting there stagnating."

Occupational psychologist at Kenexa Sean Keeley told the newspaper that volunteering is also "good psychologically" as recruiters who see a gap in employment filled with volunteering activity, "they will see it as a continuum".

Those hoping to branch out and participate in volunteering abroad projects may like to turn to specialist in gap years and volunteering abroad specialist i-to-i, which recently introduced an orangutan programme in Borneo to its list of itineraries.

Category: Teaching and Learning