Professionals Volunteering
When you think of the kind of people who volunteer abroad you usually think of youngsters just out of school or students taking a gap year but there’s no rule that says they’re the only people who can do it. In fact, volunteer travel experiences are becoming increasingly popular with professionals who want to do something different with their holiday entitlement and businesses are now beginning to accommodate for this growing trend.Why professionals choose to volunteer…
Some people find it difficult to understand why someone who works hard all year would choose to spend what little time they get off volunteering but it can actually be really refreshing. Travelling to an exotic destination, immersing yourself entirely in a new culture and making new friends... all this makes volunteering a great way to unwind. And remember, the work you do as a volunteer will be completely different to what you do at home. Not only will it be making a significant difference to people’s lives but it won’t involve the same stress or responsibility as your day job.What’s more, in our hectic modern world, professionals often find it difficult to turn off. Many professionals choose to use volunteering as a transitional stage to help them wind down from their stressful lives before taking a week of luxury relaxation in the same destination, others prefer to spend the entirety of their vacation volunteering simply because it keeps them busy and being busy keeps them happy. Meaningful Tours are becoming a popular choice with professionals because they allow them to spread their time evenly between volunteering and more leisurely pursuits.
The most common motivation that leads professionals to volunteer, however, is the opportunity to give something back. Many of these people are earning considerable salaries and benefiting from the comfortable lifestyle that this allows them. This widens the gap between them and the poverty stricken communities that many volunteer projects aim to help, and can create a greater sense of responsibility which inevitably leads to a desire to help in some way.
Some professionals choose to donate money, while others decide to donate time. Both have their own benefits but volunteering allows them to get a better idea of global issues and to actually see the difference that they are making. What’s more, many professionals feel that they are making more of a contribution by giving their time instead of their cash.
In some cases professionals are able to bring skills that are vitally needed into these underprivileged communities. For example, doctors can go and help out at local clinics or builders can provide vital guidance on small building projects. This is, of course, two fold and many volunteers choose to use their overseas experience to develop new skills in new areas. Overseas internships are particularly good for this and can help people to work their way up the career ladder.
And this leads us to the final reason why professionals choose to volunteer abroad. It’s a great way to develop new skills and to impress prospective employers. It shows your commitment to global issues and, when choosing relevant project, to your own development. Indeed, some of the volunteer projects available have been specifically designed to allow you to give something back as you explore a new culture and undergo a regime of self-development.The Way of the Warrior project in Malaysia is a good example of this and will help you to develop leadership skills that will help you later in your career.
How can your company support you…
Ethical policies are becoming big business nowadays and that means that getting support from your company is becoming significantly easier. In some cases companies will simply join a travel program, such as the Friends of i-to-i program that offers 10% off all volunteer projects to company employees. In other cases they will take a more active role by organising team building or employee development trips that will be paid for in their entirety by the company.It’s always a good idea to check with your company to see if they do offer any volunteer travel opportunities and if they don’t why not suggest they join a travel program – it’s possible that they just don’t know these programs exist and would be more than willing to get involved if they did.
Another thing that is becoming more common as professionals become more interested in volunteer travel is the approval of employee leave – be it paid or unpaid. Travelling with the knowledge that you have a job to come back to is a real comfort and will allow you to enjoy your time volunteering even more. What’s more, taking leave gives professional the opportunity to prolong their stay and really make the most of their time away.
There is a whole world of volunteer opportunities out there that will help you to make a difference as you take a break, so next time you’re planning your vacation why not take a look and see what takes your fancy?
