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Connecting women and opportunity

Womanthology is a digital magazine and professional community powered by female energy and ingenuity.

Connecting women and opportunity

Womanthology is a digital magazine and professional community powered by female energy and ingenuity.

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Harnessing LinkedIn’s Volunteer Marketplace to create social good in your community and get ahead in your career – Alison Dorsey, Social Impact Manager

Volunteering

Alison Dorsey is Social Impact Manager at LinkedIn, where she leverages the platform and resources to connect professionals with opportunities to create social good in their communities. Alison was a co-founder of the Entasso talent market platform that matches recent graduates with their first position.

Alison Dorsey
Alison Dorsey

“…By simply checking the box on the ‘volunteer experience and causes’ section of your LinkedIn profile, you can now signal to LinkedIn’s charity partners that you’re interested in volunteering, allowing them to match you with recommendations of relevant opportunities…”

Making LinkedIn’s Volunteer Marketplace work for you

Recent ONS data shows nearly a fifth of people in the UK have volunteered their time over the last twelve months, but charities don’t just need time, they rely on donated skills to try and solve some of the world’s most pressing issues. As well as putting your skills to good use for a great cause, volunteering your time and expertise can also have huge benefits on your career and employability.

Connecting skilled professionals with opportunities to donate their time and expertise to a good cause

This month, we’ve launched the Volunteer Marketplace in the UK – a new set of tools on the LinkedIn website to help charities find and connect with skilled professionals who want to donate their time and expertise to a good cause.

By simply checking the box on the ‘volunteer experience and causes’ section of your LinkedIn profile, you can now signal to LinkedIn’s charity partners that you’re interested in volunteering, allowing them to match you with recommendations of relevant opportunities.

So, whether you’re an architect looking to do your bit, a communicator who thinks they can help get a charity’s message across or an aspiring board member looking for a new challenge, there’s never been a better time to volunteer. Here are our top tips for getting started:

1. Let charities know where your strengths lie

Use your LinkedIn profile to highlight your skills and experience so that you can ensure charities know what you can offer them and that once connected, you’re both getting the most out of the opportunity.

2. Make sure it’s manageable

As with all aspects of your career, make sure you’re not at risk of burning out. The beauty of volunteering is that you can give as much or as little time as you like. Work with your charity host to set expectations up front and ensure you are both clear on the time commitment.

3. Choose something you care about

As well as searching for candidates, charities can also post their volunteer and trustee opportunities in the same way that businesses post vacancies. When looking at opportunities, make sure you’ve got the right skills and that the cause is something you’re interested in. You’ll get more out of the opportunity if you’re passionate about it, so take time to think about the kinds of charities you’d like to work with.

4. Shout about it

Whether you learnt to use a new piece of software or got to grips with a new industry – broadening your skillset helps with career development so ensure you’re highlighting it on your LinkedIn profile for everyone to see.

Volunteering experience shows potential employers that you’re a well-rounded individual with interests outside of your career, so make sure you’re shouting about your experience.

 5. Get in the habit

If you don’t have the time to make a long-term commitment, there are still plenty of charities out there who need skilled professionals on a short term basis. So, make a note to check the Volunteer Marketplace each week to see if there are any opportunities that suit your skills and the amount of time you are able to donate.

 

For more information about how you can volunteer your time via the Volunteer Marketplace, visit:

https://volunteer.linkedin.com/

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisondorsey

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