"It looks good on your resume". How many times have you heard that about the value of volunteering?
Tania Court, the long-time manager of UNE's student-powered radio - TuneFM - knows it to be true. She's lost count of the number of references she's given for volunteers, up to 80 of whom pass through the station every year.
"During peak job-hunting season, I've had as many as five reference calls a day," Tania says. "And some of those candidates have nailed jobs on the back of my reference. Our volunteer program is very much focused on building resumes for post-graduation.
"I consciously ask each of our volunteers about their hopes and dreams and we tailor their volunteering experience to meet those goals and to suit their natural abilities, to build a suite of skills for when they leave uni. The aim is to ensure their resume stands out and that they get an interview. Having a strong referee is vital and I'm that person for a lot of our graduates."
The career benefits of skills developed in any volunteer role - such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, project planning and task management - have long been recognised. But in today's competitive job market, they have become increasingly important for first-time job-seekers and those seeking to change roles.
TuneFM's volunteer program has helped countless students, from all disciplines, build their resumes, because Tania says landing that dream job is about more than meeting the selection criteria.
"Employers are naturally interested in a person's professional skills, but they are also looking for evidence that a candidate is reliable and has a good work ethic," she says. "They want to know who they are as a person, and volunteering provides an indication of that. Graduating with a degree these days, except on very rare circumstances, just isn't enough anymore."
UNE Honours Theatre student Jake Hunt started at Tune as a volunteer "for a bit of fun and light relief from study" in his first year. Four years later, he's a casual, paid Radio Broadcast Assistant who's supporting the next generation of volunteers and grateful for the edge his radio role has given him.
"It quickly became apparent how valuable the volunteering would be to my career," Jake says. "As well as communications, co-ordination and administration skills, I've learnt how to manage the volunteer workforce. Social media is a big part of what I do and any future role is likely to demand those skills, so they're very useful.
"All of this makes me quite employable in radio, and while I'm hoping to get into acting and directing in Melbourne, radio work could provide stable employment while I'm job seeking."
The leadership skills he's developed will certainly come in handy in October, when Jake directs a cast and crew of about 14 people to produce The Pillowman as part of his honours project.
