Can volunteering in a charity shop lead to a paid job?

scotrae

I work for a small but growing charity and several of my colleagues started off as volunteers. We also have lots of volunteers getting involved to help and we try to support them in gaining the skills and experience that they hope to get. Good luck - and enjoy it!

bex2002

Hi. Yes I have found that voluntary work has helped me with getting into uni and getting the job that I have now as it gave me skills and confidence that I didn't have before I started working with the charity.

tiff

So, what makes a good volunteer? I am thinking reliable, works hard etc because judging from my first day there are all sorts of volunteers and some have their own problems which is the reason they are volunteering rather than working.

hethmar

If you are looking for admin work, check out other voluntary jobs in your area like the CAB or museum services.

There should also be a voluntary work coordinator for your district which can match you to suitable vacancies - and YES, once you are in as a volunteer you are much more likely to get a paid job. Good luck.

oldtoolie

Yes, I would second the advice to look for a volunteer post similar to the paid work you would like to do. So if you want to do admin work, try to be an admin volunteer. There are volunteer placement schemes in many places. Check out https://www.do-it.org.uk

If you want paid employment in an office, try to improve your IT skills especially MS Office software. If you get a volunteer post and get a chance to learn how to use specialist software used for fundraising and events management, grab the chance.

The_Thrilla

Yes.

1) It is genuine experience in retail.

2) As others have said, it shows you are willing to work rather than sit around watching Sky TV.

3) You will develop an appreciation of antiques and collectables, which leads to...

4) You get advanced view of the donations, so if a copy of "Dance Around the Maypole" by Acid Gallery or "Desdemona" by John's Children arrives in the morning, you can grab it and have it up on ebay by the evening.

5) Any paid charity shop jobs going, you will be able to apply for with a reasonable chance of landing one.

oldtoolie

The_Thrilla wrote: »

Yes.

4) You get advanced view of the donations, so if a copy of "Dance Around the Maypole" by Acid Gallery or "Desdemona" by John's Children arrives in the morning, you can grab it and have it up on ebay by the evening.

You won't last long as a volunteer or paid staff in charity if it gets around that you do this.

Savvy_Sue

hethmar wrote: »

There should also be a voluntary work coordinator for your district which can match you to suitable vacancies - and YES, once you are in as a volunteer you are much more likely to get a paid job. Good luck.

It's always worth googling volunteer plus your town / city / county to find your local volunteer bureau.

oldtoolie wrote: »

Yes, I would second the advice to look for a volunteer post similar to the paid work you would like to do. So if you want to do admin work, try to be an admin volunteer. There are volunteer placement schemes in many places. Check out www.do-it.org.uk

also in the OP's case, the local 'place to look' would be Voscur - and conveniently, you can sign up for a weekly email of events etc which highlights new vacancies, including for volunteers. I don't think many charity shops advertise their vacancies there (although I could be wrong) but there are all sorts of other possibilities from time to time.

Also look out for admin possibilities within the shop - the Gift Aid scheme is one example, and you may find that some volunteers really don't like dealing with it! Equally they may have someone coming in regularly to do just that, or they may be posting the info off to have it done centrally: even so, there will be admin 'stuff' within the shop.

As for what makes a good volunteer, it's pretty much the same as what makes a good employee: reliable, cheerful without talking the hind leg off a donkey, doing the job to the best of your ability, willing to learn, and able to make a decent cup of tea / coffee as often as required. Equally knowing what ISN'T your job / responsibility, and who to pass problems on to, and how to do that while still giving excellent customer service (in the charity shop context).

tiff

Not heard of Voscur before, thanks. There are some interesting volunteer opportunities on there that I will bear in mind. Oh yes, the tea/coffee rota has been shown to me so that I know what everyone else has!