Don't understand why charity shop treated me horribly

General_Grant

Robertson74 said:

Marcon said:

saajan_12 said:

References aren't really a 'thing' anymore, most companies don't go into any detail about the person for fear of being liable if the person turns out to be worse at the new company. So I wouldn't worry about that, wherever you go next won't be expecting much of a reference. 

They most certainly are a 'thing' in that the majority of employers, and often organisations looking for volunteers, will want one. Look at the scandals which have arisen in recent years - so often they result from the failure to take up references and ensure those references are genuine.

Macron. Surely charities should provide certificates to everyone showing how reliable how someone was. If after 5 years how would I know they still had me on record.

The charity only had shops in Scotland and fed children in Africa and a few other places, you would think that they could show something.

I just sort of feel I have wasted my time there TBH- I did a lot of unpleasant tasks there and I feel I wasn't respected, but I try and put it behind me.

At one charity where I volunteered there were annual meetings for the trustees to meet with the volunteers and talk with them about what the charity had been doing.  As part of this, volunteers were presented with "certificates of thanks" to mark, say, two years, five years, ten years of volunteering.  It didn't say what activities they had been engaged in but it did mark length of service.

However, even immediately afterwards, a potential employer would not really have given much weight to such a certificate, though it showed length of service because it would be a little like a testimonial.  A testimonial is a "to whom it may concern" type letter which gives the type of information which might be included in a written reference.   They are not of much value to a potential employer as they could so easily be forged.  So not having a "certificate" you suggest is not a great loss in itself.

sheramber

A lot could change in 5 years.

A person may not be as reliable as he was 5 years ago. 

I don’t think a certificate that was 5 years out of date  would count for a lot. 

cr1mson

That sounds like a horrible experience. Can I suggest you look to volunteer at something like parkrun as a way of dipping your toes into volunteering without having to make a big commitment. There are a lot of volunteer roles and most just mean an hour or two on a Saturday morning say for example acting as a marshal but if you enjoyed it there are roles that look for a bit more time and involvement. It is a great way to meet people and is flexible. 

itsthelittlethings

How are you feeling OP? Do any of the ideas on this thread grab you as a way to move on?

Robertson74

itsthelittlethings said:

How are you feeling OP? Do any of the ideas on this thread grab you as a way to move on?

Hello Itsthelittlethings. Thank you for your message. Yes they do and I will think about them. I didn't have a nice experience volunteering, but the messages on the thread make a lot of sense and I reckon I will have to put that part of my life behind me. 

To everyone as well, thanks for all your posts.

josephine82

cr1mson said:

That sounds like a horrible experience. Can I suggest you look to volunteer at something like parkrun as a way of dipping your toes into volunteering without having to make a big commitment. There are a lot of volunteer roles and most just mean an hour or two on a Saturday morning say for example acting as a marshal but if you enjoyed it there are roles that look for a bit more time and involvement. It is a great way to meet people and is flexible. 

Another vote for parkrun or junior parkrun volunteering! I’ve actually had people volunteer at my local event who have then gone on to use their volunteering experience in job applications and interviews- it’s so valuable. As parkrun is a very inclusive organisation, it’s very likely that there is friendliness, a lovely welcome and encouragement. You don’t have to commit to anything and you don’t have to be a runner. Check it out, I’m sure you have a local event near you.