Graduate Opportunities

Volunteering is about getting involved and making a valuable contribution to your broader community. It covers any unpaid work to benefit others. Volunteers are active in almost all aspects of society, and can do everything from visiting elderly people to coaching a junior soccer team.

In addition to making a positive difference or giving something back to society, there is also much to be gained at a personal level. Volunteering enables you to:
• gain new skills
• express your talents and qualities
• enhance your employability
• meet people and broaden your perspective
• boost your confidence and self worth
• feel engaged with a cause or group.

Volunteering assignments can range from casual or part-time work to intensive, short-term projects. In some cases volunteering can lead to paid work, but it is best not to enter with this as the goal.

Employability

Potential employers know that volunteering requires commitment, motivation and energy, so they look favourably on applicants with volunteer work on their résumés. Volunteering often involves working for small organisations with limited resources – the kind of environments where initiative, leadership and a can-do attitude are critical. Volunteering of any kind develops:
• your capacity to communicate with people
• your ability to identify problems and find solutions
• your ability to handle pressure
• your ability to work independently/as part of a team
• your capacity to prioritise.

As with any experience, try to get a strong reference letter or a referee who can be called upon for future job applications.

Want to gain volunteering experience but don’t know who for and doing what? What:

• activities do you enjoy?

• skills do you have/would like to develop?

• types of organisations would you like to work for?

After several years of study, many graduates feel like a well-earned break. The lure of adventures in distant lands drives many to strap on their backpacks and head overseas.

Undertaking employment or volunteer work overseas (OS) is a great way to combine work experience and travel. OS experience also looks great on a résumé. Many programs exist to assist students and graduates interested in volunteering OS – from weekend work camps to two-year professional placements.

Gap years
A ‘gap year’ refers to any year-long break – before, during or after university – usually to travel, work overseas or undertake volunteer work.

A break before or during university can be a good way to re-energise before the challenges of further study. However, there are also advantages in waiting until you graduate. If you are unsure of your career direction, then time off could be well utilised to broaden your horizons and affirm interests and career inclinations.

Even if you are clear about your career direction, taking time out to spread your wings can be valuable for personal growth and employability. Employers recognise the added value of staff who have seen a bit of the world. Planning and undertaking a trip is evidence of a range of personal qualities valued in the workplace, including independence, determination and curiosity.

If you want to take a gap year when you graduate but are concerned it could affect selection for a graduate program, check with individual employers on their eligibility policies.

5 top overseas destinations of Australian bachelor degree graduates in full-time employment:

United Kingdom (26%)
United States of America (9%)
Hong Kong (8%)
Japan (6%)
China (excl. Hong Kong) (6%)

For more information about volunteering in Australia and Overseas visit:

www.aiesec.org
www.ampersand.org.au
www.ciee.org/volunteer.aspx
www.volunteersearch.gov.au
www.australianvolunteers.com
www.ausaid.gov.au/youtham
www.fido.com.au
www.goodcompany.com.au
www.govolunteer.com.au
www.gviaustralia.com
www.gvi.co.uk/about-us/careers-at-gvi
www.idealist.org
www.volunteering.org.au
www.reach.org.au
www.volunteer.com.au
www.thesource.gov.au
www.cv.curtin.edu.au
www.whitelion.asn.au
www.worldvolunteerweb.org
www.volunteer.org.nz/newzealand
www.projects-abroad.com.au

Working holiday schemes

Most working visas are provided on a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ basis, so it is important to select the time that suits you best. You can utilise more than one working holiday visa for a given period, allowing you to plan a round-theworld trip with working stops in various destinations.

Many countries have specific working holiday visas and schemes that allow you to work for a specified period of time, within a defined age bracket (commonly 18-30) and under certain conditions (i.e. work type may be restricted).
For countries offering working holiday visas to eligible applicants from Australia and New Zealand, visit:
• Australian Department of Immigration &
Citizenship: www.immi.gov.au/visitors/workingholiday/
australians-overseas/
• Immigration New Zealand: www.immigration.govt.nz

OS work can be challenging. Before committing:
• Ask yourself “What do I hope to achieve/contribute?”; “How will I manage times when I miss home?”
• If you volunteer through an organisation, does it charge a fee for placements? Is financial assistance provided for housing or transportation? What are the living costs?
• What skills training and support is provided by the organisation?
• Culture shock is natural – in time, most people will acclimatise to a new environment.
• Talk with past volunteers or holiday workers about their experiences.

Article based on a flyer produced by University of Melbourne Careers &
Employment and an article by Ebony Frost, Marketing Communications
Manager, GlobalCareer Company.

Pros of working OS...

• enhanced résumé and references
• work experience and career opportunities
• opportunity to travel in work breaks
• knowledge and understanding about other countries, cultures and ways of life
• personal and emotional development.

... & Cons of working OS

• Even a working holiday comes with costs so you have to be financially prepared.
• When you return from overseas it is likely your peers will have made progress in their careers, so be prepared to catch up!

(Source: Australian Graduate Survey, 2008 GCA)

For more information about working overseas visit:

www.smartraveller.gov.au
www.globalexchange.com.au
www.anyworkanywhere.com
www.overseasjobs.com
www.i-to-i.com/gap-year
www.jetprogramme.org
www.jobstreet.com
www.contactsingapore.org.sg
www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk
www.owh.com.au
www.workinfrance.com
www.workinginbelgium.com
www.prospects.ac.uk
www.aupairinamerica.com
www.ccusa.com