Paid vs Volunteer (1 Viewer)

[emilios]

So I've been working part-time for the past 3 years - 1st year @ Maccas, then Woolies up until now. Thing is though that ever since I took the HSC exam period off I've been getting close to no shifts - like I'm talking 3.5 hrs a week. It's a joke. I've spoken to my managers about this like a hundred times but they're just weaselling around and not giving me straight answers. It doesn't just seem to be just me though, a couple other guys are only getting like 10 max as well.

Anyway from working in the past I've saved up around 6 grand (After spending a lot of my income).

Should I just dig into those funds to finance my going out for the next 4 months and go do volunteer work that I would enjoy (and would look amazing on my resume too) ? I'm moving out in March if I make the course I want to in QLD so I'm not too fussed about long term employment prospects.

 

[astroman]

apply for permanent paying job

 

[JamesGoh]

Volunteer jobs are good for building skills and experience, however you do need money to survive. I'd suggest focusing on getting a paid job first, then get a volunteer job afterwards.

 

[Chronost]

You'll be fine, just spend more wisely, you can easily do $200-300 a month and still go out regularly. Will have plenty left over + more relevant experience.

 

[Brian1800]

You already have decent experience in working with the food industry, so you should go for another food industry-based job.

 

[seremify007]

Do the volunteer work IMO. If it's something you are passionate about, you'll get satisfaction and probably be able to demonstrate a lot more initiative.

 

[Crobat]

Volunteer for sure mate - maybe overseas if you can. A regret of mine is not putting time into volunteering early from graduation. The people I meet at uni that are always so switched on and just great to be around all loved the experience and satisfaction they gained from it. I think they learnt something about the world and life that you wouldn't in the privileged first world we live in.

 

[emilios]

Volunteer for sure mate - maybe overseas if you can. A regret of mine is not putting time into volunteering early from graduation. The people I meet at uni that are always so switched on and just great to be around all loved the experience and satisfaction they gained from it. I think they learnt something about the world and life that you wouldn't in the privileged first world we live in.

i'd love to do volunteer work overseas but i don't want to get sucked into the 'voluntourism' trap (tourism disguised as volunteering). apart from that, what skills could a 17 yr old possibly bring to developing nation (which is what I assume you're talking about) that couldn't be done by the locals?

 

[Crobat]

i'd love to do volunteer work overseas but i don't want to get sucked into the 'voluntourism' trap (tourism disguised as volunteering). apart from that, what skills could a 17 yr old possibly bring to developing nation (which is what I assume you're talking about) that couldn't be done by the locals?

To be perfectly honest I don't really know - most of these things end up in teaching English which I think is an absolutely redundant exercise and has nothing to do with valuable contribution via volunteering. A few of my friends have volunteered to help physically build communities and live amongst the locals while doing so. Again nothing new that you can bring to a developing nation but at least you are able to help them by providing them with extra manual labour. I myself haven't really looked into volunteering much beyond what one of the student societies at my uni offer (because I'm aware of the trap of the self-servingly fake programs that are voluntourisms), which are generally based around something you might study (for example, if you are a Law student they offer a program where you will be examining human rights law in Indonesia whilst volunteering at a Refugee camp in Jakarta, or if you are an Engineering student you might be flown to Cambodia or India to help develop safe and sustainable sanitation systems).

I can ask around and get back to you though. But otherwise, you can always volunteer at a community justice centre or animal shelters or NGOs like the Australian Refugee Volunteers.

 

[emilios]

To be perfectly honest I don't really know - most of these things end up in teaching English which I think is an absolutely redundant exercise and has nothing to do with valuable contribution via volunteering. A few of my friends have volunteered to help physically build communities and live amongst the locals while doing so. Again nothing new that you can bring to a developing nation but at least you are able to help them by providing them with extra manual labour. I myself haven't really looked into volunteering much beyond what one of the student societies at my uni offer (because I'm aware of the trap of the self-servingly fake programs that are voluntourisms), which are generally based around something you might study (for example, if you are a Law student they offer a program where you will be examining human rights law in Indonesia whilst volunteering at a Refugee camp in Jakarta, or if you are an Engineering student you might be flown to Cambodia or India to help develop safe and sustainable sanitation systems).

I can ask around and get back to you though. But otherwise, you can always volunteer at a community justice centre or animal shelters or NGOs like the Australian Refugee Volunteers.

you'll be entering 3rd year uni soon, why not get involved too?

and thanks for the info man. i mean unsw (where i'm planning to go) has lots of stuff catered to this, so i'm definitely looking forward to it. however i don't think there's much that a business student could contribute hahah at least engineers are useful

 

[Crobat]

you'll be entering 3rd year uni soon, why not get involved too?

and thanks for the info man. i man unsw (where i'm planning to go) has lots of stuff catered to this, so i'm definitely looking forward to it. however i don't think there's much that a business student could contribute hahah at least engineers are useful

you will quickly learn business students are the most useless students

but yeah I will be looking to do some volunteering work

 

[hawkrider]

you will quickly learn business students are the most useless students

How so?

 

[seremify007]

How so?

I assume he means in terms of actual contribution. Whilst it is a broad generalisation, I did note that a lot of business faculty students stretch themselves across a lot of various volunteering opportunities in societies and outside of university, and as a result, the amount of contribution can vary significantly. Again this is in itself a broad generalisation and I can hesitate a guess as to why this may be the case, but thankfully, those people tend to get caught out pretty easily once the lack of substance becomes apparent.

 

[emilios]

I assume he means in terms of actual contribution. Whilst it is a broad generalisation, I did note that a lot of business faculty students stretch themselves across a lot of various volunteering opportunities in societies and outside of university, and as a result, the amount of contribution can vary significantly. Again this is in itself a broad generalisation and I can hesitate a guess as to why this may be the case, but thankfully, those people tend to get caught out pretty easily once the lack of substance becomes apparent.

i think he just meant that the skills acquired in a business stream aren't as noble as those gained in another field.

a civil engineer will walk out with knowledge on infrastructure and buildings that are essential for civilization, a lawyer will walk out with knowledge of the legal system and will (hopefully) have great reasoning skills. doctors and allied health workers will know how to diagnose, treat and cure people

business students will have learnt how to .... make more money? LOL

 

[nerdasdasd]

i think he just meant that the skills acquired in a business stream aren't as noble as those gained in another field.

a civil engineer will walk out with knowledge on infrastructure and buildings that are essential for civilization, a lawyer will walk out with knowledge of the legal system and will (hopefully) have great reasoning skills. doctors and allied health workers will know how to diagnose, treat and cure people

business students will have learnt how to .... make more money? LOL

Depends what major though

Marketing - how to market goods to people
Finance - how to decide and consider investments

Accounting - how to do financial reporting and learning about tax laws

 

[seremify007]

I'd say making more money is more of a measure or metric than what they've learnt... e.g. the rationale/thought process in understanding certain behaviour, an ability to articulate and present arguments (in a professional manner), organisational skills to identify relevant data and consolidate it into a form which facilitates decision making, ability to analyse data to make decisions, working as a team to develop solutions or broadening ideas, identifying ways to grow or progress an idea, understanding/appreciating laws/regulations in different countries which impact organisations and cultures, etc... there's a lot more to it than just simply making money.

That being said though, I get where you're coming from and personally have also felt that the skills/knowledge we gain in university studying a pure Commerce or Business degree is not really that technical or comprehensive as other degrees. The reality is the field is so broad that anything remotely technical is better off taught on the job later on, and university is more about establishing basic foundations of knowledge and building on softer skills/attributes which are relevant.


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