Poll Question: How Should Your Company Give Back?

By Job Journey on Thursday, May 10, 2018

Most companies today understand corporate citizenship not only makes a difference in their bottom lines and communities, but also helps build a more engaged workforce. Employees like to give back, and it’s always great to see your company doing something for the greater good—that they’re committed to improving the community.

In fact, when companies make giving back a key focus of their business strategy, they often see less turnover and greater success overall.

For our May question of the month, we want to know which company-sponsored outreach programs you prefer. Let us know by voting in our poll.

The Job Search

Poll Results: What’s Your Favorite Way to Volunteer?

By Caleb Yen on Friday, August 4, 2017

Volunteering is a great way to network. You’re helping the community and your career, all while meeting people from various walks of life.

What are the best ways to volunteer? We asked our Movin’ On Up readers to share their favorite ways to volunteer last month to find out.

Results

Twenty-two percent of respondents chose “Other,” while 19% selected “With Your church or Faith Group.” “With a Service Group” and “Donating” came in at 12.5% each, with “Canned Food Drive” and “With a Professional Group” just behind them at 11% and 9%, respectively. “Charity Walk/Marathon” followed at 8%, while “With Your Business” only got 3% of the vote. “Building Homes” and “Volunteering Abroad” came in last, with just under 2% each.

Analysis

As you can see, our data was fairly spread out. “Other” was the top choice, and our top five answers all received over 10% of the vote.

When respondents chose “Other,” their responses varied from animal shelters and knitting for charity to prison outreach and helping the homeless. There are so many volunteer paths available. Go out there and find yours!

So what does it all mean? There’s no “right” way to volunteer. Some prefer to work with their church. Other’s choose to donate. It doesn’t matter how you volunteer—just go where you feel called. The type of volunteering you find interesting will vary depending on your own interests and personality.

Anything else you want to tell us about how you volunteer? Let us know in the comments below!

At Work Career Advancement

Poll: What’s Your Favorite Way to Volunteer?

By Caleb Yen on Tuesday, June 27, 2017

There are so many ways to help out our communities—what’s your favorite?

We all have skills. Some of us are athletic. Others have innate leadership qualities. And still others are handy with a toolbox. When we feel called upon to volunteer in our communities, we use our skills in unique ways to make a difference.

Athletic individuals can take part in charity basketball tourneys or marathons. Leaders can take command of canned food or donation drives. The handy among us can help build houses for the disadvantaged.

But you don’t have to have some incredible ability to make a difference. Passion and a cause are all you need. Volunteering can be as simple as donating gently used clothing, or as lofty as serving on the board for a non-profit organization or flying to another country to help the sick.

You can also volunteer with your business, church, school, or professional organization, or find a group of likeminded individuals and form a social organization with the sole purpose of volunteering. The sky’s the limit!

Regardless of how you’re doing it, we want to know how you volunteer. Let us know by taking part in our poll!

Events

Brand It Blue Day Is Almost Here!

By Job Journey on Friday, June 12, 2015

On Saturday, June 13, Express Employment Professionals offices across North America will gather together for Brand It Blue Day. The event is a day of service aimed to help in the fight against hunger, and you can be a part of it!

There is value in volunteering–both in your personal life and your career–and Brand It Blue Day is a great time to join a good cause. If you’d like to be part of the big day, contact the Express office in your city and ask if they are participating in Brand It Blue Day. You may be able to volunteer your time at a food bank or bring in donations for a food drive. Contact your local Express office and find out if they’ll be joining this day of service so you can help!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Reader Surveys

The Results Are In: How do you give back?

By Job Journey on Friday, June 5, 2015

Giving back can be a great feeling, help you network, and make you more employable. Being a volunteer can set you apart from other job candidates and give you an entirely new set of skills. Because of this, we asked Movin’ On Up readers how they gave back to the community through charitable citizenship.

What the Survey Revealed
The survey revealed that nearly 42% of readers give back by volunteering their time and talents. The rest of the respondents give back in the following ways:

Donating food, clothes, or other needed items to organizations 30%
Donating funds to charitable organizations 9%
Donating blood 2%
Other 17%

Although the majority of respondents spend time volunteering, a third donate tangible items to organizations in need, nearly 10% of respondents pull out their wallet to give funds to various charities, and 2% donate blood.

A number of respondents selected the “Other” option and provided their own responses to the poll. Of the 17% who selected “Other,” responses included:

All of the above
Walk-a-thons
Wild land search and rescue
Volunteering at the local hospices

Keep Giving Back
The results of the poll indicate that people give back in a variety of ways. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that people most often volunteered with religious (33%), education or youth-service related (25%), and social or community organizations (14%). This leads us to ask, what are your favorite ways and places to volunteer? Let us know in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Networking

How Giving Back Makes You More Employable

By Job Journey on Wednesday, June 3, 2015

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), volunteering raises your odds of finding employment in today’s job market. In fact, a recent report from CNCS reveals that volunteers have 27% higher odds of finding employment than non-volunteers, and the relationship between employment and volunteering was strongest for those without a high school diploma or who live in rural areas.

Who Is Volunteering
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 25% of Americans age 16 and older engaged in volunteer opportunities in 2014. This equates to 62.8 million volunteers, and the median number of volunteer hours worked was 50. People most likely to volunteer are those between the ages of 35 and 44, while volunteer rates are lowest amongst those 20 to 24 years of age. The report also found that the organizations people volunteered with most were religious (33%), education or youth-service related (25%), and social or community organizations (14%).

What Are the Benefits
While the benefits of volunteering are numerous, there are a few positive effects that stand out, including:

Acquire new skills. When you volunteer your time, you often have the opportunity to learn new skills or trades you may not have been exposed to otherwise. These new skills are not only great for you personally, they are also important to building an impressive resume.
Stay engaged in the working world. If you’ve been out of work for a while, the job search can be tough. Volunteering not only allows you a chance to work on a new project that may clear your mind for a bit, it also shows potential employers that you’re driven, motivated, and encouraged to stay working despite gaps between paid jobs.
Improve your resume and LinkedIn profile. In addition to adding new skills to your resume, volunteering also helps you beef up the experience portion of this important document. Any experience you can add to your resume will help you stand out from the competition. Additionally, people you meet while volunteering can make great connections on LinkedIn.
Make new contacts. Speaking of LinkedIn, volunteering is a great way to kick-start your LinkedIn profile or enhance an otherwise stagnant one. Volunteering is an opportunity for you to network with those in your industry, or in other industries you may like to work.
Better understand today’s work environment. If you are an older job seeker or have been out of the workforce for an extended period of time, volunteering is a great way to get back out there. You can learn skills that are important to today’s employers while also working with younger generations to better understand the new workforce.
Gain self-confidence and lift your spirits. When you volunteer, you experience first-hand the difference you’re making in your community. This feeling can lead to a boost in self-confidence, which may be beneficial if you’re struggling with a particularly stressful job search.

How to Find Volunteer Work
Now that you know how volunteering can make you more employable, it’s important to know where you can find volunteer work. To find your next opportunity, try these methods:

Use your skills. Look to your current sets of skills to find an opportunity that’s right for you. For example, if you’re a skilled marketing professional, look for volunteer opportunities in this field. Or if you love to paint, you can search for volunteer work painting homes or other buildings.
Plan for the future. If there’s a job you’d like to have, use volunteering as an opportunity to help you reach that goal. Volunteer at organizations that will help you learn the skills you need for your dream jobs and help you find the people who can get you those jobs.
Ask your friends. Your friends and family may have volunteer experience you can benefit from, especially if they work in an industry you’re trying to break into. Ask them where they volunteer or who they volunteer with to help you find a new opportunity.
Search the internet. There are a number of websites that can help you find the perfect volunteer opportunity based on your skills and interests. Check out sites like VolunteerMatch.org and Serve.gov for local opportunities. If you’re age 55 or older, try the Senior Corps website, which is made specifically to help you find volunteer work.
Start your own. If you can’t find the right volunteer opportunity for you, or if you have an idea of your own, consider creating a volunteer opportunity or cause. You may even be able to partner with an organization that can get your idea up and running.
Join Express for Brand It Blue Day. On Saturday, June 13, Express offices across North America will set aside time to give back to local food banks, pantries and other nonprofit organizations. Visit ExpressPros.com/BrandItBlueDay to find out if an Express office near you will be a part of this day of service and how you can be involved.

When you look for volunteer work, seek out meaningful jobs that will help you network, learn new skills, and reach your professional goals. And remember to always treat your volunteer job as if you’re being paid. You never know who will be volunteering with you or how they may be able to help you land your next job.

How does giving back make you more employable? Share your stories in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Current Affairs

You Can Be Part of Brand It Blue Day

By Job Journey on Monday, May 4, 2015

Why Is It Important?
Summer is an especially difficult time of year for children as most of the school meal programs end, leaving millions of kids at risk of going hungry. In 2013, more than 21.5 million children received free or reduced-price meals through their school programs and only 2.5 million of those children took part in summer food service programs. In Canada, more than 310,000 children receive their meals through food banks each month.

What’s The Impact?
In 2014, 205 Express offices participated in Brand It Blue Day and more than 1,000 volunteers showed up at their local food pantries to help. Thanks to everyone’s help, Express was able to collect enough food and donations to provide more than 55,000 meals to those in need. During the past two years, Express has supplied more than 91,000 meals.

Why Should You Help?
Volunteering adds valuable experience to your resume. Whether you’re a job seeker who just graduated or someone who has been out of the workforce for an extended period of time, volunteering can help add to your work history and set you apart from the competition. Spending your time serving in your community helps you gain networking opportunities that can lead to jobs, provides new skills that you can add to your resume, and shows you have a passion for helping others. In fact, a recent report by the Corporation for National and Community Service found that volunteering was associated with 27% higher odds of employment.

How Can You Help?
Now that you know the impact of Brand It Blue Day and the value of volunteering, you may be wondering how you can be part of the big event. If the Express office in your city is taking part in Brand It Blue Day, you may be able to volunteer your time at a food bank or bring in donations to a canned food drive. Contact your local Express office and find out if they’ll be participating in this day of service so you can help!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Tag Archives: volunteering

There are so many ways to help out our communities—what’s your favorite?

Regardless of how you’re doing it, we want to know how you volunteer. Let us know by taking part in our poll!