What’s More Valuable: Volunteer Experience Or Study?

Pull out your petitions and whip out your phone-banking lists, because we're about to delve into the world of volunteering and how valuable it can be whilst studying.

Everyone plus your second aunt encourages you to get a job or to go and volunteer.

Times are changing, social issues are rising, and every second friend of yours seems to be volunteering their time in an attempt to both do some good and get real life experience during their studies. In fact, stats show that 38% of volunteers between the ages of 18 – 24 are studying.

With National Volunteer Week having just come and gone, it had me thinking: is this experience more valuable than the qualifications they walk out with?

Well, I believe experience can only get you so far; you need the smarts and the devotion to study to push you over the edge. However, it applies the other way too. Those smarts, too, can only get you so far. The experience will help you get even further.

Volunteering and a qualification should go hand in hand with one another. Volunteering gives you skills to deal with some scary real world stuff; stuff like talking to strangers on the phone or on the street (thank you phone-banking and petitioning), how to speak in front of numerous amounts of people, how to facilitate those numerous amounts of people, event creating and holding, or even how to fundraise.

Your qualification, on the other hand, gives you the knowledge and theoretical skills to know how to do the job you want to go into. Volunteering can either be the stepping-stone or early practice run into that.

When it comes down to it, one isn’t more important that the other. Both have their own merit. However, volunteering also has the added benefit of helping others in the world.

So, my suggestion? Go volunteer. Go join Oaktree, VGen, and whatever other organisation you can think of. But also remember to study so you can leave university, TAFE or wherever you may be studying with that shiny new qualification… and a back pocket full of some worthwhile experience.

Caitlin Moore is one of Student Edge’s student contributors. Learn more about our contributors program.