@Hannah_Museums

Could this be good for career development?

Where would we be without our volunteers? They bring so much energy and passion to the cultural sector, but it’s sometimes too easy to forget that volunteering can be time consuming and resource heavy. Volunteering can easily go from something positive, to a negative feeling for the both the volunteer and their supervisor if expectations aren’t met.

This post is for anyone who has considered volunteering as a way to gain practical sector experience ahead of applying for jobs. This might be alongside, instead of or ahead of studies. It’s also for volunteer managers, or supervisors / mentors that are looking for a better relationship with volunteering.

I feel it’s important to add that this is entirely my own opinion, and based off my own practice and sector experience. It’s advice that I often personally give to people looking to use volunteering as an opportunity for development and it comes from my own experience. I write from an honest angle, having once been a young person who had a slightly turbulent relationship with volunteering. I learned what worked for me was to set goals and discuss expectations ( including timelines) from the offset.

The contractual theory
This thought is that volunteering should be treat as a contractual experience, where goals are set and reviewed frequently by both parties. I like to set frequent one-to-one type checkins with my volunteers to keep up with their changing needs and to make sure both parties are getting what they need. These check-ins are a review period, where we can discuss challenges, aspects of enjoyment and also discuss future development goals. It’s important to check in frequently, to manage expectations and to offer training opportunities and guidance.

Setting expectations from the start
It’s important to set the expectations of the volunteer and the volunteer mentor from the very beginning, especially when volunteering can be a very open ended thing.
This could mean setting a period of time for volunteering, with a review or end date.
It could also be about making sure that the volunteer opportunity is very specific.

After all… why shouldn’t we be more conscious of our time and how we use it?
Which brings me to the next thing I want to say about proactive volunteering…

Seek your own opportunities

Don’t be afraid to ask people you know if they can help you to get specific experience in an area. If you’re well networked and have done your research you can make your own opportunities. In this, the key is to be specific about what it is you’d like to gain from the experience, and how your potential volunteer mentor could help you. This could mean getting in touch and asking to support on a project, or on the production of some content (either online or for an exhibition), the more specific you are about things, the more likely the person is to agree (if they have the capacity)! Because I’ve found more often than enough that help is welcomed, but it becomes difficult when you then spend your days trying to make up tasks for the sake of it… and it also becomes really felt by the volunteer. Everyone wants to feel valued and like they’re making a positive contribution.

Past discussion on volunteering

Back in 2017 I guest guest blogged for Volunteer Makers, a blog that you can read here. Since then there have been a multitude of platforms taking the gamified approach to volunteering, offering time specific tasks that the community can get involved with. I’ve spoken in the past at length about targeted volunteering, and how through information provided, platforms can match people to opportunities, as well as the benefits of micro volunteering… but I’m also a big personal believer in taking control of your own opportunities and your learning, rather than waiting for something perfect to come up. Having followed this approach for years, I now frequently find myself encouraging people to take control of their volunteering and to be proactive.

My final thoughts on volunteering

Volunteering can be a great way of gaining experience, however it is important that you define what that experience is. There’s no denying that it can be time consuming, this is why it’s important to let go of opportunities that just aren’t right for you. One of my goals back in 2019 was to volunteer less, which to some extent became true, but I did this by being more selective and focusing on the things that really mattered to me. This was an important shift in my one mindset and allowed me to take control and be proactive in my own learning.

See you next time!
H