Volunteering Information

I finished University in 1998. I was lucky to be able to go. I was the first Woman in my family to Graduate, followed later by my Sister. But at the end of the whole education ride I was left wondering, what was it all for? I graduated with a degree in English, which qualified me to either be an English teacher, or flip fries (as one astute guidance counselor once told me).

I was ahead of the curve though. I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I already had practical experience in marketing (which was just called advertising back then). Besides my BA from Queen’s University, I’d had summer experience for three years working at various agencies in marketing, so I was blindsided when I finished school and couldn’t find a job in my chosen field. In fact, my first full time job out of school was at Jacobs in the Eaton Centre.

I don’t know what exactly made me decide that volunteering would be my vehicle forward, I certainly had no assurance that a job would come out of it. But, the next time I heard of a position that I was qualified for, I called up my prospective boss, sent them my resume, and offered to come in for an interview on one condition, that they only hire me as a volunteer for a trial basis or the first three months; And it worked! That was my ticket in to the illustrious world of Advertising.

I worked my ass off those three months. If nothing else, others might remember me for running in the halls. I never sat at my desk. Unless something had to be documented, I was in co-workers faces, getting approvals, bargaining on timelines, updating status reports. In later years I’d be told not to run in the halls, but when I got my start, it was my “hustle” they hired me for. After three months was up, I became a regular salaried employee, and it felt great, because I knew I loved working there, and I knew they were happy with me.

My number one piece of advice for someone starting out, if they can’t find a job right away is, volunteer in the field that you’re interested in. If you want to work in a call center, try it out first. Ditto for an office place. If you’re looking to become a vet, volunteer at your local shelter washing and cuddling the animals. Not only are volunteers needed desperately everywhere, you might find out something about yourself or about that type of work that suggests you change your goals. They say that volunteering is a rewarding experience, but it’s not just true for the charity or organization that you work for. There is nothing more rewarding than coming to know yourself, and volunteering delivers that in spades. And, if you’re proud of me for never having to flip fries, don’t be. Turns out that when you work for McDonald’s in any capacity, they require you to take time out of your regular job and work in their restaurants. It’s called “Hamburgology.” And guess what? The experience in teamwork and proper customer service was invaluable.