Volunteering abroad will boost both your confidence and independence. From packing bags, cooking meals, speaking a foreign language or working alongside fellow volunteers – volunteering will strengthen both. Add an internship or volunteering experience to your CV as evidence that you’re willing to put in extra work, making yourself more attractive to potential employers or universities.
1. You’ll learn a new language
Volunteering abroad often gives individuals an opportunity to immerse themselves in local culture while taking a break from hectic daily life back home. Many find learning the local language invaluable as a means of immersing themselves into this vibrant country and culture, not forgetting providing much-needed relief from daily stressors like work or school obligations.
Volunteering will often teach you things no book could. You’ll experience first-hand how other cultures live and what it means to truly empathize with different social groups; for instance, many volunteers have found that giving even small gifts goes a long way in endearing themselves to children they work with.
Many people discover that volunteering helps them build more confidence. This may be because they’re doing something they truly believe in while providing assistance to those less fortunate than themselves, which can be extremely empowering. Many volunteers come away feeling inspired and determined to pursue their passion – whether this means moving permanently abroad or simply engaging with hobbies more regularly.
2. You’ll make new friends
Volunteers typically travel alone, providing them with the opportunity to form lasting friendships with fellow volunteers who share similar goals of stretching themselves outside their comfort zones and taking risks. Such bonds will continue long after you’ve left the project site.
As part of your work with local people, you’ll also have the chance to build meaningful relationships. Doing this is an invaluable opportunity to gain an insight into their daily lives, culture and traditions; plus you may form lasting friendships if working with children or elderly individuals.
Volunteering abroad can also teach you tolerance and acceptance of people from diverse social groups, which will come in handy when traveling for leisure purposes. While it’s easy to judge those living different lifestyles, volunteering will teach you not to hold this attitude against others and help inspire you to travel more in future – this experience is one of the key takeaways from volunteering abroad! This experience should make an impressionable impactful statement about why this trip matters and motivate you not to make excuses! This experience should make volunteering abroad truly worthwhile!
3. You’ll get to travel
As a volunteer, you’ll get to experience life from an entirely new angle. From experiencing different cultures and customs to making a real impact in communities worldwide. And along the way you’ll meet all sorts of amazing people – not just other volunteers but locals as well as staff of your project!
If you are used to living a certain way at home, living in another country with different laws and customs might come as something of a culture shock; but don’t worry – our country-specific cultural training will help ensure you adapt quickly!
Travel is an invaluable experience, giving you access to all the tourist and cultural landmarks in your destination, living with local families and experiencing life from within. Plus, volunteering together provides an amazing way to form lasting bonds while making a positive change in our world – priceless memories indeed!
4. You’ll make a difference
An opportunity to volunteer can open your eyes to issues and needs you might never have considered before, while at the same time helping you to find what drives you – be it a new career path or cause close to your heart.
Doing volunteer work abroad can be immensely satisfying and fulfilling, especially when helping those without access to basic services we take for granted. This experience is even more meaningful when working with underserved populations that lack basic services that we take for granted ourselves.
As a volunteer abroad, the challenges you encounter will hone your problem-solving skills. You’ll learn to manage a wide range of situations such as limited resources or complex projects with ease and learn to collaborate on teams with other volunteers; skills which could prove useful later when applying for interviews or professional development opportunities. Plus, sharing this experience with family and friends makes this learning opportunity all the more worthwhile!
5. You’ll learn about yourself
Planning, living closely with fellow volunteers and participating in meaningful work abroad will help shape you into a more well-rounded person. You’ll become more organized while developing creative solutions for dealing with challenging situations.
Your patience will also become stronger, an invaluable quality that you can utilize both at work and as a parent.
Volunteer experiences also create bonds that last a lifetime with family and friends, helping you form long-lasting bonds that lead to life-long memories. Many volunteers find volunteering has taught them to appreciate even small pleasures; overseas volunteerism taught many that smiling is free. It will reassess priorities while showing appreciation for other cultures – this lesson from volunteering will allow you to lead a more satisfying life back home!