The value of Volunteering
I studied for a degree in law late in my career life and then discovered how much it would cost me to complete the training to become a solicitor. This would take a further four years and that only if I was lucky enough to find a training contract. Then my salary would hit rock bottom of course and I had too many commitments to consider that as an option.
So I turned to the voluntary section to find a use and justification for my new found knowledge. In the UK there is an organisation called Citizens Advice that offer free advice and assistance when people have a problem that they are unsure of where or how to go about solving it.
They had been advertising in the local paper for volunteers to take on two, two hour shifts a week with a new training program about to start. It was a similar application process to applying for a paid position and there was still a need for referees to give a character reference. They were very thorough, explaining the commitment that I needed to make as they were keen only to use their expensive training for people who would contribute whole heartedly to their organisation.
The training as an advisor includes a very professional training package that is completed over a period of time, including how to use the computer research and information system, how to take telephone interviews and complete reports itemising the clients problem and documenting the advice given and the source of the advice.
The atmosphere of the office was very different from my regular paid employment. Everyone seemed very friendly and one hundred per cent committed to what we were trying to achieve. It was great to have all these mentors willing to help solve the problems that I encountered. As a trainee you are asked to continually seek the advice of the training officer or superviser before giving any advice and all of the reports are read on a daily basis.
The value of developing my legal theoretical knowledge in a practical way I found very rewarding. I also helped people with debt problems, housing issues, benefit applications, people from all walks of life who had nowhere else to turn for help. It was like being exposed to the underside of life, the nuts and bolts of how everything works and the issues that arise and trauma caused when things go wrong.
Some of the issues were small, like finding telephone numbers or helping an elderly citizen fill in a benefit application form but it gave me a great deal of satisfaction and opened a whole range of learning opportunities that had not been available before. An added bonus was that my employer recognised my status as a volunteer and granted me time off to complete any training that I needed to do.
When I became a manager at my paid job I found I was competent in resolving many staff issues without needing to refer to outside sources, helping me gain respect in my managerial position.
