Young people often want to face any kind of adventure to enrich their knowledge, experience, and CV. However, since volunteering can comprehend any type of experience in 2024, it is always difficult to understand how they work and how to undertake them.
Let’s give it a proper context
This enrichment can be made happen through volunteering work that allows learning tasks that can be useful in turn for future jobs. This opportunity is especially good for students who want to get involved and familiar with new tests. In particular, in Europe, this opportunity can be extended to all the continent to get also involved in living in another country.
Nowadays, volunteering opportunities are everywhere and students can apply to them through various websites and apps. Often, a large amount of offers are available through green and animal sustainability. In Europe, these “trips” can be found from the cold land of Iceland to the Mediterranean climate of Italy, Greece, and Spain, in which there is the possibility of being in touch with dolphins, horses, or street dogs for a short and long-term commitment. Global sustainability usually includes the majority of the work of European volunteering.
However, suppose you prefer to work more with people. In that case, there are a bunch of programs regarding working with refugees due to the European refugee crisis by providing teaching and general support. Another example might be also related to environmental protection such as beach cleanups, seed collection, and renovation works.
Moreover, you can learn about the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN and collaborate by discovering all of North of Europe and its natural wonders. Furthermore, volunteering has to be considered a period where a person has fun and takes experience to enrich themselves in any kind of way.
My own experience
From my perspective, undertaking this kind of opportunity is really easy and you do not have to be scared of traveling around Europe to work. This summer, since I wanted to do volunteering during the holidays, I worked with my cousin to find the best destination possible.
Although I did not find what I wanted in the end, I spent a lot of time searching various volunteering websites that offered beautiful places in Spain and Latin America. Indeed, there are really interesting sites that allow traveling around the world thanks to any type of volunteer work.
For example, through Worldpackers, you can put your abilities at stake for food and accommodation in places like Brazil. This is possible for the “skills for accommodation” scheme that characterizes the site, which makes its offer similar to a holiday website, but you pay for your trip with your service.
The app also lets people filter their dream volunteering experience to make it as matchable as possible with you. For instance, you can decide to only look at works that offer to live in a family or with others equal in age.
Just a few tips
Based on this, if you want to undertake a volunteering opportunity, it is important to give you a bunch of advice.
- remember what you are doing; you have to keep in mind that, even if you are working for free in a holiday place, you are still working. This means that people who hire you will be pleased to give you the comfort you deserve, but, at the same time, they will expect you to have the same commitment.
- it is important to exploit this opportunity in the best way possible. If you have the opportunity to go to the other side of Europe for free, do not waste your time because these chances can go away in the blink of an eye.
- even if you do not have the best experience of your life (I doubt it), it will still remain useful.
To sum up
In conclusion, I want you to understand that when you are young and you have to start thinking of building up your career, consider everything important because when you are older and your problems and work will be more complicated, you will not have the time to develop the knowledge and experience of a summer volunteering opportunity. Further, keep in mind that a piece of paper can let you in the work market, but life experience, talent, and willpower will let you have the success that you deserve.