It seems a little absurd that most entry-level jobs list 3-5 years of relevant experience as a preferred quality in a candidate.

How can a freshly graduated college student possibly have this level of experience unless they were not pursuing their college degree full-time?

While internships are an ideal way to gain valuable experience, acquiring one as a college freshman is difficult.

So what should parents be encouraging and helping their freshman do to gain experience relevant to their future career aspirations?

Below are areas in which a college parent can assist their freshman as they head toward a full-time career in a few years:

1. Shadowing

2. Volunteering

3. Career-related summer jobs (& experiences)

Post one is published here and post three is coming soon. Stay tuned!

Why is volunteering important?

While shadowing can be an excellent way for your freshman to get exposure to their field of study, it’s not the only or even the most valuable way for your freshman to get first-hand exposure.

Volunteering provides a more hands-on, experiential experience for a college freshman who may still be secretly or not-so-secretly doubting their choice of major.

If you want to instill confidence, awaken passion for a field of study, or provide greater clarity about choice of major, volunteering can be a great way to push your freshman.

More information is coming on this later, so keep reading!

Which freshmen should especially pursue volunteering experiences?

Volunteering is more than helpful in many fields of study. 

Often the more competitive or the more general their field of study, the more important volunteering is.

Volunteering is not simply helpful but a “must” if your child wants to distinguish themselves in the following fields of study:

• Healthcare majors: Premed, pre-physical therapy, and other healthcare-focused majors particularly need to show they are involved in their local community. Post-undergraduate programs and employers want to see students actively care for those who are underprivileged, at-risk, etc.

• Business majors: Accounting majors in particular find themselves facing a very competitive field. Finding volunteering experiences that make you stick out uniquely is as a result even more critical.

• More general majors: General business majors, communication majors, and other more general majors need to find ways to distinguish themselves as a potential employee. Volunteering at local non-profits, small businesses, etc. can help these students distinguish themselves.

This certainly isn’t a comprehensive list but hopefully helps to give you an idea of the types of majors that particularly need to pursue multiple volunteering experiences.

What are the benefits of volunteering?

Volunteering comes not only with many career benefits but also with many personal benefits.

What are some of the possible career benefits to volunteering?

• Resume items: Many college students struggle when creating their resume for full-time work toward the end of their undergraduate years. Volunteering helps to not just provide “filler” items but actual substantive and relevant experiences on your child’s resume.

• Proof of character: Volunteering is a great way for your child to “give back” and to prove they are a “giver.” Additionally, your child can develop key leadership qualities, social networks, and more that can benefit them in the long-term.

• Clarity of focus: As mentioned earlier, some students can feel a little lost in their major and find themselves constantly doubting if they chose the right one. Volunteering in a relevant experience helps to give your freshman tangible proof for or against their choice of major.

• Increased connections: The more exposure your freshman gets to the professional world, the more connections and networks your freshman can acquire. And finding your first job out of college is often tied more to who you know than what you know.

These are only some of the big highlights, and you can certainly add more to this list. Volunteering provides many valuable benefits to your freshman.

How can you help your freshman acquire volunteering opportunities?

Volunteering can be challenging for a freshman who lacks confidence or lacks motivation.

Rather than sign your freshman up for volunteer experiences, collaborating with your freshman may help them to feel more ownership of and responsibility for this experience. 

How can you help your freshman not only see the importance of volunteering but also acquire volunteer experiences?

• Challenge your freshman to make a difference. Many in your child’s generation feel particularly passionate about causes. This is a wonderful quality. Ask your freshman about what kind of impact they want to make. How does your freshman want to leave a “mark” on their world? Encourage them to do something about it. Dream with them.

• Explore options with your freshman. If your freshman feels especially connected to a cause, encourage them to look into local organizations or events that need volunteers. Provide some accountability and check on their progress too.

• Praise demonstrations of character. Sometimes freshmen don’t respond well to compliments. Typically, compliments aimed at demonstrations of character (not looks, awards, etc.) are better received. If your freshman does do something truly sacrificial, don’t be hesitant to praise them in specific meaningful ways.

Volunteering requires intention, motivation, and follow-through. 

It will take work, planning, and maybe even missing out on other valuable experiences. 

But volunteering is an excellent way for your freshman to distinguish themself, gain experience, and grow as a person.

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