If you are currently enjoying life as a student or have recently graduated, then boosting your career prospects is vital. Even if you have only just started in higher education, it is worth beefing up your CV as much as you can ready for when you do head out into the big wide world. Whether you aim to move into teaching or another profession, showing that you are a person who cares about others and has valuable real-life experience is essential to finding that perfect job.

Charity work is the ideal solution

By far the best way to pick up some extra skills and show your compassionate side to potential employers is to engage in charity work. Charitable acts are becoming more common in business culture and that means employers are looking for people who share their interest in helping good causes.

The best way to gain experience of charity work is to get involved by helping out in person, setting up a fundraising event or making regular donations.

Ways in which charity work can help

There is no doubt that getting involved with charity work is positive for your future job prospects. Here are some great reasons that make sense for any student or graduate:

• Transferrable skills – one of the best things about doing charity work is that it arms you with transferrable skills that future employers may be looking for. As many businesses now engage in charity work, they will be looking for people who have experience of the sector and how to apply it in their company.
• Demonstrates your initiative – one of the key skills many employers will be looking for is initiative. They will want employees who can use their knowledge and skills to work individually while still being a fully contributing member of the whole team. It shows you have initiative and energy when you actively seek out charity work to do in your spare time.
• Shows them you can work hard – being able to show that you are not afraid of hard work and getting involved is another valuable personal skill that all employers will be on the lookout for. Engaging in charity work will demonstrate this to any future employer and mark you out as someone who is not afraid to get involved to get the job done.
• Team worker – when you are involved with charity work you will meet new people and work with them towards a common goal. That is very similar to starting at a new job and it makes charity work an excellent indicator to employers that you can work as part of a team.

Help others to help yourself 

Whether you are looking for a job after studying right now or are still a student, making charity work part of who you are is a wise move. Not only will it illustrate to employers that you have a good heart and that you care about others, it will also give you lots of skills and experience that an employer will value.