I never started volunteering to ‘gain experience.’ Not really. That’s the phrase you use on your CV, or when you’re nervously explaining why you’re giving up your weekend again. But the truth is, I started volunteering because I wanted to feel useful. To feel part of something. I wanted to believe I could do something good, even if I didn’t have much else to give.
And maybe I wasn’t always sure where I fit: too shy to lead a room, too anxious to network, too stubborn to sit quietly when something felt unfair. But volunteering gave me space to figure that out. Slowly. Clumsily. Sometimes in freezing community halls with bad coffee and mismatched chairs, and sometimes in Zoom meetings where we all talked over each other with the best of intentions. Sometimes in the smallest moments, helping someone find the right bus, planning a youth panel, noticing when someone else looked unsure and saying, ‘You’re doing fine.’
Volunteering has made me braver in ways I didn’t expect. I’ve spoken on panels, facilitated climate conversations, and helped shape reports I wasn’t sure I was smart enough to contribute to. I’ve worked with organisations that trusted young people not just to participate but to lead. And through that trust, I found a kind of confidence I didn’t know I had.
What volunteering doesn’t get enough credit for is how quietly radical it can be. It’s often unpaid, under-recognised, and held up as something we should all be doing for the ‘greater good’. But in a world that rewards productivity and profit, choosing to give your time – to care, to advocate, to show up – is an act of hope.
Sometimes people say, “That’s so good of you,” in a way that feels like they’re putting me on a shelf. Like it’s a nice story. But volunteering isn’t a footnote. It’s central to who I am; it’s how I’ve built the life I’m proud of, and it’s taught me how to ask questions, how to listen, and how to stay in the room when the work gets hard.
It’s shown me that leadership doesn’t always look like a loud voice or a perfect plan. Sometimes it looks like creating space for someone else to speak. Sometimes it looks like showing up, again and again, even when you’re tired. It’s in the spreadsheets, the snacks bought with your own money, the follow-up email you send even when no one asked you to.
And yes, volunteering has helped me find my path professionally but more than that, it’s made me feel less alone in the world. It’s shown me that community isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a practice, it’s a choice. It’s something we build together, often in the cracks of our already-full lives.
So no, I didn’t start volunteering to ‘gain experience.’ But I’ve gained something far better: a sense of purpose. A network of people who care deeply. A voice I trust now, even when it shakes.
And those things? You won’t always find them on the application form. But they’re why I keep saying yes.
Featured Image Credit: Bethany Spain