Plunging into volunteering is much more than a simple altruistic action. Discovering the profound meaning behind this approach means exploring a world where personal commitment and social impact come together by creating a social bond. What is the essence of volunteering? What are the concrete benefits for volunteers? How can I find the right offers and in what areas? In this article, discover the unique motivations, opportunities, and benefits of volunteering.

‍

💡 Why volunteer?

What is the meaning of volunteering?

Volunteering is more than just contributing time. It represents a unique opportunity for personal development and the acquisition of experiences. Volunteering, means joining diversified solidarity missions, whether in communication, catering, medical, or many other fields. It is an opportunity for everyone, in search of significant experience, to enrich themselves professionally while contributing to humanitarian, social or environmental actions.

What type of volunteering can you do?

One of the most appealing aspects of volunteering is its diversity. Volunteer opportunities are as varied as everyone's interests and skills. Whether it's participating in charitable events, assisting vulnerable people, contributing to the preservation of the environment, or getting involved in educational activities, there are a myriad of choices. This diversity offers a chance for everyone to find a mission aligned with their interests and to build a rewarding experience that could then open the doors to a job thanks to new skills.

What are the types of missions?

Volunteer missions cover a broad spectrum of activities, thus offering a varied range of commitments. This may include one-off actions such as logistical support at charitable events, food assistance or clothing distribution services for disadvantaged populations, or even regular interventions with the elderly or children in dedicated structures. It is not uncommon to also find missions such as Community Manager, Digital Manager or even first aid worker, especially for the Paris Olympic Games... The missions also include environmental initiatives such as cleaning beaches or planting trees to preserve biodiversity.

What are the areas most in demand by volunteers?

Volunteers work in a multitude of areas, each of which has social or environmental importance. Social services are in high demand, whether in emergency shelters, associations fighting poverty, or food aid centers. Environmental organizations also attract a lot of volunteers, with actions focused on the preservation of nature, ecological awareness or the fight against climate change. In addition, the education, health and humanitarian sectors are also areas where volunteer involvement is very active. The Red Cross makes it possible to volunteer in numerous services to help people in need, with disabilities or living in precariousness.

‍

Examples :

• Social services: Support for the homeless, food distribution, assistance to the elderly.
• Environment: Cleaning public spaces, planting trees, raising awareness about ecology.
• Education and health: School tutoring, activities in hospitals or retirement homes, fundraising for associations.

These examples represent a fraction of the missions and areas where volunteering makes sense, offering everyone the opportunity to get involved according to their values and abilities.

‍

🤓 Advantages and disadvantages

What are the benefits of volunteering?

The benefits of volunteering are numerous. In addition to the personal satisfaction of contributing to important causes, volunteering offers the opportunity to acquire new skills, to explore new areas and to create a diverse social and professional network and to create beautiful intergenerational encounters. In addition, this experience can enrich a resume, showing a social commitment and a sense of responsibility appreciated by recruiters.

‍

Involvement in volunteering often shows a desire to contribute positively to society or to community life, to develop useful skills and to invest in activities that go beyond simple remuneration. This can signal to recruiters that the candidate is ready to invest time and energy in causes that are important to them, which can positively influence their perception of the candidate.

What are the disadvantages of volunteering?

While rewarding, volunteering can have a few drawbacks. Among these is the lack of recognition or appreciation for the work done, especially in unpaid missions where the volunteer may feel undervalued. High turnover due to the lack of long-term investment can also create instability in project monitoring and impose a significant adjustment period on each new volunteer.

‍

In addition, some commitments and missions can require a lot of time and energy, which can affect work-life balance.

What are the limits of being a volunteer?

Volunteering, while rewarding, has some constraints and restrictions that must be taken into consideration. Here are some aspects that should not be overlooked:

• For job seekers : An unemployed person can volunteer within an association, but in order not to compromise his unemployment benefits, he must respect strict conditions, such as the absence of previous paid employment within the association and the compatibility of voluntary activity with the active job search.
• Risk of unfair competition : In some cases, volunteering can lead to competition with paid jobs. The substitution of tasks under the responsibility of the public authorities by voluntary actions can impact the creation or maintenance of paid jobs in certain areas.
• Cumulation between paid and voluntary activity : Although possible, the combination of these two activities within the same association requires a clear distinction between paid and voluntary missions to avoid problems with URSSAF and a potential suspicion of hidden work.

These limits and conditions, while framing volunteering, remind us of the need for a thoughtful and balanced approach when engaging in volunteering.

What is the difference between volunteering and volunteering?

Volunteering and volunteering share similarities, but differ in several key ways. In summary:

• Volunteering : This is a part-time commitment, during the hours and free time of the week, without financial remuneration. Volunteers can freely choose the type of association or cause they want to support, and generally engage in a flexible manner.
• Volunteering : Unlike volunteering, volunteering often involves a full-time commitment to a non-profit organization. Volunteers can benefit from more formal support from the organization. In addition, volunteering may be associated with compensation or financial compensation for the work done.

Read also”How do you find a job after your studies?“

‍

🕵️ Where can I find volunteer opportunities?

Where to apply

There are numerous opportunities to apply for volunteer opportunities and therefore to gain a first significant experience. You can also find some on the #Climbing board of Grimp that come straight from the platform Benevolt.

Benevolt is a platform that facilitates meetings between those who want to experience a unique, pleasant and friendly volunteer adventure in an association. And recently, a partnership with Grimp has been established, maximizing the visibility of their offers!

‍

How do I apply?

When it comes to applying for a volunteer mission, the formality often varies depending on the organization.

Here are a few things to consider when volunteering:

• CV: Even if the mission is voluntary and unpaid, a resume can be useful in presenting your relevant skills, professional or personal experiences. This allows the organization to better understand your profile and motivation.
• ‍Motivation letter: Some associations or organizations may request a cover letter to understand your motivations, expectations and interest in the mission. It can demonstrate your commitment and your understanding of the issues related to the mission.

However, it is important to note that the selection process for volunteering may be less formal than for paid employment Some organizations may not require a resume or cover letter, preferring instead to meet informally to discuss mutual expectations.

In all cases, it is recommended that you inquire with the organization in question to find out its specific expectations in terms of applications. This will allow you to provide the required documents and to highlight your interest in the volunteer mission in question.

‍

🙋 FAQ

1 ️ ※ What are the different types of volunteer missions?

Volunteering can take many forms:

• The formal volunteering or organized: it includes all volunteer activities carried out in the associative world, supervised by non-profit organizations or projects (e.g.: Unicef, France Alzheimer, Secours Catholique, Secours populaire, etc.). Rather, this type of participation is intended for regular volunteers.
• The informal volunteering : these are all voluntary actions not supervised by an association and outside family ties. For example: mutual assistance between individuals, shopping for an elderly person in the neighborhood, etc.
• The micro-volunteering : this corresponds to a type of volunteering that is generally occasional and of short duration. This civic engagement is especially ideal for young people, or for people who lack time but still want to feel useful.
• The remote volunteering : the use of the Internet makes it possible to provide volunteer help without having to go there. These can be various missions: administrative tasks, communication, computer development, computer development, telephone listening, etc. Remote volunteering also allows people with disabilities to put their skills at the service of associative life.
• The skills volunteering : here, volunteers put their skills to the benefit of non-profit organizations. Some associations need a team of volunteers with specialized qualifications for specific projects. The most sought after are often skills in communication, IT, project management or even marketing.
• The corporate volunteering : this is based on the promotion of volunteering among employees for associations selected by the company.

‍

2 ️ ※ What are the qualities required to become a volunteer?

Today, more than 16 million volunteers are involved in French associative life. Would you also like to become useful and work for the general interest?

‍

Beyond the motivation and the desire to help, which are essential, the qualities and skills appreciated in volunteers vary from one mission to another. Here is an overview of the most requested in the search for volunteers:

• Empathy and compassion : it is the basis for all voluntary involvement. All new volunteers need to be able to be compassionate to those in need.
• Ability to work in a team : most volunteer missions require collaboration with other volunteers or partner organizations. It is therefore important to have a team spirit.
• Open-mindedness and respect : volunteer work involves being open to different cultures, lifestyles, etc., in order to help all people without distinction.
• Stress Management and Resilience : volunteer roles can sometimes be emotionally or physically difficult. It is therefore important to have good resilience.
• Flexibility and reliability : the ability to adapt to changes and the unexpected is essential for all people who volunteer.
• Good communication : this includes attentive listening skills and the ability to convey clear information.
• Technical skills : depending on the role of volunteers, specific skills may be required, for example medical, educational, computer skills, etc.

‍

3 ️ 803 Why volunteer?

A large number of volunteers are involved in solidarity missions every year. Becoming a volunteer has many advantages, and everyone can find good reasons to get involved, for example:

• Desire to be useful, to act for the community, to help others;
• Want to meet new people from a wide variety of backgrounds and who share your values;
• Develop skills (technical, social, organizational, etc.);
• Discover new horizons;
• Defend a cause that is important to us and participate in raising public awareness;
• To prepare for the world of work and to become familiar with a field that attracts you or, on the contrary, completely new;
• Enhance and complete your CV...

‍

4 ️ ※ Do volunteer hours count when calculating retirement?

Volunteering is a commitment without financial remuneration. To date, volunteer status does not entitle you to retirement. However, a bill to integrate volunteer periods into the calculation of retirement is currently under consideration. A way to recognize and encourage associative work.

‍