A few days ago I had a lengthy conversation with my younger brother about how he is spending his free time this summer. He is a rising sophomore in college and has a part time job that keeps him busy for about half the week. On his days off my brother, Chris, always complains about having nothing to do. I finally recommended that he look into volunteer opportunities.

Working as a volunteer is a great way to help out an organization and community in need. Not only are you aiding people that need your help but it also can help you grow and learn some life lessons like working in a group atmosphere in order to accomplish a goal. Volunteering can also help you learn more about what you may want to do as a career. Helping out at day camps or maybe prepping packages for military troops deployed overseas can answer some questions you may have about your interests in future careers and the type of environment you would be in.

Working as a volunteer is also a great way to network and create relationships with people that you could then use as references on your resume. Volunteering is also great for your resume because it shows that you are an active member of society and that you enjoy working with other people as well as helping people in need.

If you have free time this summer you should seriously look into volunteering somewhere near you! Finding an organization to work with is incredibly easy. Just Google "volunteer work" and your city which will bring up a number of pages to choose from, and usually a home page for your area with a list of places and a description of what the work will entail.

"WM2006 Fan Fest Stuttgart - Volunteer" courtesy dheuer via Flickr Creative Commons