College Students’ Service to Community during the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Valarie R. Austin, April 20, 2020, 12:00 PM EDT
Volunteering, externships, internships and/or extracurricular activities are great opportunities to add “experience” entries to college students’ resumes. Employers who are hiring often tell college graduates that they do not have "experience" for the advertised positions. The reality is employers desire bullets on potential hires/interns’ resumes that demonstrate problem-solving, leadership, team work and communication skills. Therefore, employers want to see “what you have done versus what you can do.” To employers, a college graduate’s schooling and academic knowledge provide only pieces of the puzzle on his/her ability to thrive in a work environment beyond the classroom. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all college majors, especially those in health care, have many chances to get “experience.”
Across the nation, organizations, such as Meals on Wheels, the Rotary Club, various food banks/distribution centers, local hospitals/clinics and others, are desperate for volunteers. In another example, the Virginia Department of Health has called for volunteers to join its Medical Reserve Corps, which also accepts unpaid workers outside health care fields. These volunteers would be on-call to help the state in a public health emergency (https://bit.ly/VA_Medical_Reserve_Corps). There have been similar volunteer community entities in history such as the United States Civil Defense Corps during World War II (https://bit.ly/Civil_Defense_Corps). Volunteering at local agencies, young adults have numerous occasions to epitomize empathy and service to community.
You can investigate potential volunteer opportunities through city government websites, religious organizations, professors, student clubs, the college’s Student Government, etc. (https://bit.ly/Volunteer_College_Opportunities). When you find a fit, you will have the chance to problem-solve, organize, prioritize, distribute, communicate and learn within an organization whose mission is to help your community. Giving a few hours per week, you also might obtain a mentor, job reference, new skills, future employment, or a potential career. Despite the desire to volunteer, however, ensure that you take precautions to protect yourself and your family from possible COVID-19 exposure. Also, you ought to verify the volunteer organization uses proper cleaning, physical distancing and proper protective equipment to keep its volunteers safe. To be clear, as a college student, your main priority still is completing your schoolwork and passing your classes. Be well and stay safe!
Valarie R. Austin is the author of The Student’s Comprehensive Guide For College & Other Life Lessons. She has a wealth of knowledge on the subjects of career and college preparation. Austin conducts career and college readiness workshops for high school students and parents in Maryland. She can be contacted at info@vauboixpublishingllc.com. Check out her author’s pages on www.goodreads.com/valarie_r_austin and www.amazon.com/author/valarie_r_austin. A Youtube.com review of her book can found at https://youtu.be/xy_GSHlJsa0
The Student's Comprehensive Guide For College & Other Life Lessons
