Voluntary Work
A Third Age Employment feature
by our Business & Employment Editor

If you are currently out of work but still hoping to find employment, Voluntary Work is an excellent way of maintaining your social skills while you continue to look for a job.

If you are retired or semi-retired and want to give something back, then Voluntary Work is also an excellent way of maintaining not only your existing social and work skills but also perhaps learning new ones.

Voluntary Work, the act of volunteering, can be defined as working on behalf of others without the ulterior motive of either financial or material gain. But it can have additional benefits for those who are unemployed but still hoping to find work.

It has long been said that it is easier to find work if you are ‘in’ work in the first place. People who are doing unpaid Voluntary Work may not be earning out of their endeavours, but it does keep them in the ’social loop’ so to speak. The very act of social interaction as opposed to sitting at home can bring surprising benefits.

In addition to maintaining their social and existing work skills, it may well be possible to volunteer in a completely different field which can add to an individual’s skill set and perhaps make them employable in a different field altogether. This can also lead to further qualifications which might make them even more employable.

So whether you are retired and wishing to give something back, or still hoping to one day find paid employment, Voluntary Work could be the answer for you in your Third Age.

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