Why Volunteering Should Be At The Top Of Every Millennial's To-Do List

By now, New Year’s resolutions have probably fallen to the wayside, so now, pick one or two commitments and stick to them for the rest of the year.

Volunteering pushes a person in so many ways and there are a whole host of benefits that one can glean from the results:

Meeting new people.

Even if you have the closest-knit group of friends known to man, you can always have more. The people you meet while volunteering are some of the nicest people you’ll ever encounter. They’re generally kind and desire to make a difference. It’s important to have a wide group of friends with varying interests, too. Variety is key to an enjoyable life.

Potentially discovering new interests.

You can volunteer for almost any individual or organization, these days. So yes, you can volunteer for something about which you’re really passionate, or you could go completely out of your normal realm of interest and volunteer for something more obscure — the choice is yours. The most enjoyment I’ve gotten from volunteering came from spreading my attention amongst several different charities.

Helps you plan a schedule.

Are you trying to find something to do to replace those lazy evenings and weekends when you watch Netflix in your pajamas? If your life is lacking a bit of purpose, indulge in the perfect opportunity to resurrect it. An advantage of volunteering is that it’s generally flexible to your life.

If you volunteer a couple of nights per week or over the weekend, it’ll provide your life with some structure. On the flipside, if you’re working full-time already, volunteering can give you something to look forward to during those long hours at your desk.

It’ll set you apart in the job market.

The job market is still tough, especially for graduates looking for graduate-level work. Volunteering gives you a competitive edge and it generally says something about your personality. People like to deal with people. When you work with a charity at a relatively young age, you’re given a lot more responsibility than you would get from another job. If you’re willing to learn, you’ll rack up so many life skills that will assist you in future endeavors.

It’s so fun.

Volunteering can lead to anything, even international travel (depending on the organization). Your late teens and 20s are the perfect time to embark on this exciting adventure, so make sure to make the most of it. Volunteering offers great stress relief; what better way to feel good about yourself and your mental well being than by giving back to an organization, or the community as a whole.

Anyone who tells you that volunteering is pointless isn't seeing the big picture. Obviously, paying bills and day-to-day life tasks must come first, but if you think you can muster up some time to volunteer, do it — you won’t regret it!

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