Main skills for volunteering and how to find the best opportunities

Venturing into volunteering? You might wonder if your skills translate into helpful contributions. Many find that skills for volunteering often overlap with everyday life, adding the benefit of positive impact. 

Whether helping locally or exploring opportunities abroad, this article explores soft and hard skills valuable in volunteering. Let's see how these skills can make a difference while broadening your horizons.

Essential skills for volunteering

From honing your communication and problem-solving abilities to mastering specific technical skills, volunteering provides a dynamic environment for growth. We'll explore skills that you can acquire or strengthen during your volunteer journey.

Top 5 soft skills for volunteering

Soft skills are qualities that shape how you interact with others and handle various situations. Employers recognize their value, and volunteering usually helps job applicants stand out during hiring processes. After all, it offers real-world experience that might be difficult to find in a classroom or textbook.

Here are five important soft skills that are useful for volunteering, and that you can further develop through this experience:

1. Adaptability

Volunteering frequently places you in unfamiliar situations, demanding flexibility and adaptability. Stepping outside of your comfort zone and adapting to new environments enhances your adaptability. Whether you're working with diverse backgrounds or tackling unforeseen challenges, your ability to adjust becomes crucial.

This could be as simple as switching tasks unexpectedly or managing a last-minute change in plans. Imagine volunteering at an animal shelter where you might start your day expecting to clean kennels. Then, you're asked to assist with walking dogs or interacting with potential adopters. This requires you to switch gears mentally, utilize different skill sets, and approach the situation with an open mind.

Each experience strengthens your ability to embrace change and solve problems quickly. These skills for volunteering are essential for a successful experience and translate directly into professional settings where adaptability is highly valued.

2. Interpersonal skills

Building positive relationships with diverse individuals is crucial in any environment. Through volunteering, you develop and refine these soft skills, essential for success in any area of life. You'll experience direct engagement with other volunteers, staff members, and the people you aim to help.

You'll learn to deal with people from all walks of life. These refined soft skills benefit you and enhance the overall impact of your volunteer work. This experience builds invaluable interpersonal skills that extend far beyond, shaping you into a more empathetic, communicative, and effective individual.

3. Cross-cultural competence

Navigating a world of diverse cultures requires sensitivity, understanding, and the ability to appreciate different perspectives. As noted in a Harvard Business Review article, cultural competency has become essential for effective leadership in our interconnected world.

4. Empathy

A thought-provoking article on the SAP blog emphasized the link between empathy and volunteering, stating that it challenges volunteers to expand horizons and consider different perspectives. Stepping into the shoes of those facing challenges fosters a deep sense of understanding and empathy.

You learn to see the world through different lenses, appreciate diverse experiences, and approach situations with increased sensitivity. Such skills, while enhancing your personal growth, create a ripple effect that positively impacts those around you.

5. Communication skills

Being an effective communicator requires you to convey information clearly and concisely. Volunteering often throws you into environments where you must adapt communication styles to different backgrounds, languages, and comprehension levels. Effective communication is vital and encompasses active listening, articulating your thoughts, and understanding non-verbal cues.

Whether working on a community garden project, organizing a fundraising event, or supporting a local soup kitchen, your ability to communicate with those around you fosters collaboration. It also ensures smooth operations and allows you to learn how to navigate diverse personalities.

Consider working with individuals where English may not be their first language. You may need to adjust your language when explaining tasks to someone unfamiliar with the area, for instance.

These experiences enhance not just spoken but written communication skills, like writing reports or creating flyers. You may also find yourself managing email communications with team members and stakeholders.

Hard skills for volunteering

Hard skills are specific, teachable skills that are more technical and can be measured. Some volunteering roles require specific knowledge or training, while many offer the opportunity to gain practical knowledge.

Always align your abilities with an organization's needs for a mutually rewarding and impactful experience. These are some of the skills that are often needed by organizations looking for volunteers:

• Teaching: Passionate about a subject and good at sharing knowledge? Volunteering to teach, tutor, or mentor can be fulfilling. Even without formal qualifications, your knowledge can make a difference.
• IT and SEO: In our technology-driven world, digital skills are highly sought after. Offering IT abilities like website management, SEO or technical support can significantly benefit organizations lacking those resources.
• Marketing and public relations: From press releases to social media, organizations benefit from skilled communicators to spread their message. Your skills in crafting content and promoting a cause are valuable.
• Event planning and coordination: Good at organizing gatherings? Your skills are transferable to planning volunteer events, from fundraising galas to awareness drives.
• Design: In a world increasingly reliant on visual communication, design skills have become valuable assets across industries. Organizations recognize the importance of impactful marketing materials, websites, and social media. You can gain practical experience using industry-standard design tools and build a portfolio of work that showcases your creativity.
• Construction skills: Volunteer opportunities related to construction and renovation are abundant. They are hands-on ways to contribute to building homes, schools, ecovillages, community centers, and much more. Whether mixing cement, learning basic carpentry, or painting, volunteers get practical experience.
• Other specialized skills: Your unique talents matter. Expertise in photography, music, cooking, and other things can benefit many organizations.

You might also like to read: 

• Your guide to teaching English as a second language
• How digital skills can enhance your volunteer experience abroad

Find volunteering opportunities aligned with your skills

Curious about how to find opportunities aligned with your skills? Worldpackers is a platform that connects travelers with hosts worldwide, offering volunteering opportunities in exchange for accommodation and other perks. It allows you to filter opportunities based on your interests, skills, and the experiences you'd like to have.

You can volunteer in areas like hospitality, teaching, eco-projects, or social work, and much more. This platform offers a wide variety of placements tailored to different expertise levels, providing real-life learning experiences while traveling affordably. Plus, it promotes cultural exchange and meaningful connections with local communities.

Whether teaching English in Thailand or assisting with sustainable farming in Ecuador, Worldpackers bridges the gap between those in need of help and those eager to contribute.

The best part is that it’s very easy to use. Simply create a free account and use the filters available on the app and website to choose the destinations you’d like to go to and the skills you possess or would like to develop.

For each position there is a page with the full description of the tasks you’d have to perform, and the benefits offered in return. The hosts also inform if previous experience is required or if they’ll teach you everything you need to know.

To fully understand how to use the platform, read our guide on How Worldpackers works.

Check out some examples of skills you can select through Worldpackers:

Building and repairing: Assist with building, renovation and such, gaining hands-on experience.

Teaching languages: Share your knowledge by teaching English or other languages that can change people's lives.

Web development: Help organizations by managing websites or providing technical support.

Social media: Produce digital content and create impactful campaigns by supporting local organizations or raising awareness for social issues.

Cooking: Share culinary skills in community kitchens, hostels, or sustainable living projects, learning regional techniques.

Gardening: Connect with nature and give back by joining organic farming initiatives, helping with hobby farms, developing decorative gardens and more.

Painting and decorating: Use your creative talents to refresh small businesses, community centers, social spaces and more.

Farming: Gain hands-on experience and learn sustainable practices by working on farms and permaculture projects.

Childcare: Help take care of children of all ages at NGOs, non-profit schools and social projects.

Pet sitting: Take care of dogs, cats and other animals at animal rescue centers, farms and homestays.

Bartending: Work at the bar and help create great memories at hostels, guesthouses and more.

These examples show how traditional skills intertwine with hands-on experience, cultural immersion, and community engagement, resulting in personal and professional growth. Volunteering allows you to give back to communities worldwide and cultivate a rewarding skillset applicable to future careers.

You might also like to read:

• Volunteer overseas: your guide to discover the world
• Work exchanges: what kinds of positions are there?
• Volunteer projects abroad: make a difference and have fun

FAQs about skills for volunteering

Let's look at some frequently asked questions regarding skills for volunteering:

What skills are needed for a volunteer?

Effective communication, time management, problem-solving, teamwork and collaboration, adaptability, empathy and compassion, organizational skills, and a positive attitude are valuable across various roles.

What are 5 benefits of volunteering?

Volunteering benefits both recipients and volunteers, offering enhanced soft skills, new experiences, boosted self-esteem, expanded networks, and professional growth.

What if I don't have any specific skills?

Many organizations value enthusiasm, a willingness to learn, and dedication more than any specific skillset. The beauty of volunteering is that it's a journey of learning. You don't need to be an expert to start.

Most organizations offer training programs, workshops, and ongoing support to equip volunteers with the necessary skills in their chosen fields. They may also offer volunteer management systems to help volunteers stay organized.

How can volunteering benefit my career?

Employers seek candidates with a blend of skills. Demonstrating soft skills on your resume can enhance it. It sets you apart from other candidates and reflects positively on your character, work ethic, and potential as an employee. It also helps expand your network and opens doors to career opportunities that align with your passion.

What if I can only volunteer for a short time?

Many short-term volunteer opportunities exist. Regardless of the timeframe, your contribution can be meaningful and still offer skill-building benefits. On Worldpackers there’s a filter that allows you to see all the opportunities that accept volunteers for shorter periods of time. Click here to see it.

Volunteering is mainly about giving back to the world, but it's also a transformative experience for all involved. By actively engaging with volunteer opportunities and approaching each task with an open mind, you equip yourself with valuable skills and positively impact those around you.

Ready to explore the pathways in volunteering, discover the rewards, and contribute your unique abilities? Create your free profile on Worldpackers right now and start saving your favorite opportunities to your wish list!