Youth Ambassador Alina explains how volunteering with Youth Employment UK helped her gain useful skills for a career change…
How can volunteering help you get on the career ladder?
Volunteering provides excellent opportunities and a structure that can help you find your career pathway and a chance to learn transferable skills which you can use for your next career. There are also benefits of volunteering as you can fill the gap within your employment while learning productive skills, which helps ease your transition into employment.
How I adjusted to changing a career
Changing career pathways can seem daunting at times. However, the key is to pick up transferable skills you have learnt during your previous career or volunteering experience. I also recommend doing online courses to gain the technical and theoretical knowledge of your next role. Additionally, it is also important to network with industry professionals on platforms such as LinkedIn to gain a holistic understanding of the industry you wish to enter.
Why have many people changed careers?
In the news, you may have heard of the phenomenon “the great resignation”, as 38% of the UK workforce has changed jobs during this year. Choosing new careers has become more accessible as employers are more willing to accept people from different professional backgrounds and experiences. There is more emphasis on transferable skills from a careers perspective and an increased focus on diversity and inclusion from a social lens.
Based on my personal experience and observation, there has been more of a shift towards transferable skills learnt in previous career pathways and more emphasis on fitting into the company culture. Additionally, many employees are beginning to recognise the advantages of having a diverse workforce.
As a young person applying for jobs, this change has been welcomed. I feel that I bring my full potential to a workplace and gain an opportunity to learn new skills to aid my personal and professional development.
How has Youth Employment UK helped in my career pathway?
Since joining and volunteering as a Youth Ambassador in May 2020, I have learnt many skills such as public speaking through the APPG meetings, which has been essential to understanding how to be a team player and work within a cross parliamentary setting and other professional spaces.
I have refined my blog writing and networking skills, which have been integral to my personal and professional growth during the pandemic. Being a Youth Ambassador has allowed me to be more confident, and the ambassadorship has been a fantastic springboard to help me progress to new careers pathways.
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