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Volunteering – just another thing I thought I had to do. Yet when my employer recognised I was volunteering in my interview, as she exclaimed “Oh my god, I did that too!”, it made me realise volunteering can help us connect.
Any kind of volunteering is an exceptional and invaluable experience that can be added onto your resume. Volunteering demonstrates your commitment to meaningful social contribution, and highlights that you are a well-rounded individual, as you are able to show you can balance both university and extracurricular opportunities.
Volunteering is a great place where you can network and form great friendships. Many lawyers and law firms take cases from community legal centers on a pro-bono basis. By volunteering, this provides an opportunity to be exposed to different areas of law, and types of lawyers, which can help you provide direction with which practice area you may want to specialise in. When you do enter the legal profession, your volunteering experiences can be a way to connect with your colleagues!
Volunteering often involves dealing with individuals within vulnerable situations. This provides an opportunity to improve your communication and teamwork skills, as you work to resolve an issue for the client. This allows you to demonstrate to employers your soft skills, which are valued when determining if you are a cultural fit. Further, if you lack legal experience, volunteering can be a great way to enhance your resume, as it contains skills transferable to working in a law firm.
Volunteering can also help you accrue hours for the Brennan Justice and Leadership Program, where when completed, gets placed onto your academic transcript.
Overall, volunteering is a great way to enhance your soft skills and network, whilst making a positive impact on your community.
Mahima Rajendran