1) Spend your summer doing something meaningful – it will look great on your resume/CV and shows a commitment to social change and willingness to work hard.
2) Give yourself a well-deserved break from the classroom. Volunteer in an exotic location and experience the world whilst gaining experience you won’t get in your classroom!
3) Gain career direction or clarification; gain experience working in your field of interest; or try out new areas of interest to see if you want to pursue them further.
4) Get ahead of other recent graduates in the job market and make yourself stand out from other applicants.
5) If you’re studying, chances are you’ve got the time. When you eventually enter the workforce you’ll be restricted to much shorter periods of annual leave. With flexible placements from 1 week up to 3 months there’s no better time for you to volunteer abroad.
6) Step out of your comfort zone and discover what you’re capable of! You might be surprised!
7) Meet people from around the world and build on your communication and relationship making skills, your cultural understanding and best of all....make new friends!
As you can see, spending your summer volunteering abroad offers so much more than your average summer vacation. Make your summer count by spending 1 to 12 weeks exploring a new country and culture, whilst at the same time sharing your time, talents, and passion with communities in developing countries who really need you.
It’s not too late to get involved this summer 2011! If you’d like to learn more about summer programs available to you, or to apply online visit www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/programs/
