26th August 2013, 09:19 PM
I think I just saved you all a year of your life's and a cup of Horlick as the mammoth post I wrote vanished in front of my very eyes!
In short...I graduated, moved back home worked in a cafe and "volunteered" at 1)my local museum 2)the local historic house and 3)a certain archaeology unit
I wrote letters to 1&2 and had a great time an afternoon a week when ever I could helping out...and that is what I was doing, helping! There were things that needed doing and I was made to feel very appreciated.
Number 3 was a bit different. I fired off an email to the wrong person, but seemingly this lovely lovely lady pulled a few strings and everythursday I had a chair waiting for me in the finds room. I washed and marked finds and had a great time with the rained off diggers over a long winter. But there was no plan, and nobody was "looking after me" I got losses in the sea of other cold hands and from an outsiders view I worked there. Gradually the numbers dwindled, people were being let go left right and centre (2010) I was prompted to see HR to ask if anything was on the horizon but didn't because I felt awkward and always had in this half way sort of house. After a while I made my excuses and left.
I have been working now in a beautiful museum for 2 and a half years and it is because of my "volunteering" that I got the job. I still "volunteer" on my days off and using leave and I am very proud of my CV.
BUT the problem is that what I have been doing hasn't been volunteering (perhaps with the exception of the historic house) In my mind volunteering has always been something you did selflessly for someone or something else. I totally have been doing all of this for me and consciously decided to do so and to learn in this way over doing a masters. I did it not to be employed by these organisations but to be employable to someone somewhere. And this makes me feel very uneasy using volunteer on my cv. I don't think anyone should really have to pay for my education though, although clearly there is a bit of muddy water with what I was doing at the unit.
Just a thought...who are you Helping when you are volunteering.
In short...I graduated, moved back home worked in a cafe and "volunteered" at 1)my local museum 2)the local historic house and 3)a certain archaeology unit
I wrote letters to 1&2 and had a great time an afternoon a week when ever I could helping out...and that is what I was doing, helping! There were things that needed doing and I was made to feel very appreciated.
Number 3 was a bit different. I fired off an email to the wrong person, but seemingly this lovely lovely lady pulled a few strings and everythursday I had a chair waiting for me in the finds room. I washed and marked finds and had a great time with the rained off diggers over a long winter. But there was no plan, and nobody was "looking after me" I got losses in the sea of other cold hands and from an outsiders view I worked there. Gradually the numbers dwindled, people were being let go left right and centre (2010) I was prompted to see HR to ask if anything was on the horizon but didn't because I felt awkward and always had in this half way sort of house. After a while I made my excuses and left.
I have been working now in a beautiful museum for 2 and a half years and it is because of my "volunteering" that I got the job. I still "volunteer" on my days off and using leave and I am very proud of my CV.
BUT the problem is that what I have been doing hasn't been volunteering (perhaps with the exception of the historic house) In my mind volunteering has always been something you did selflessly for someone or something else. I totally have been doing all of this for me and consciously decided to do so and to learn in this way over doing a masters. I did it not to be employed by these organisations but to be employable to someone somewhere. And this makes me feel very uneasy using volunteer on my cv. I don't think anyone should really have to pay for my education though, although clearly there is a bit of muddy water with what I was doing at the unit.
Just a thought...who are you Helping when you are volunteering.