What are the pros/cons in volunteering in non profits vs for profits in terms of giving you the necessary work experience in business or/and IT to get a job later?
(Question posed by Jeff Slavin on LinkedIn)
Jennifer Jones’ answer:
I have been a volunteer with PMI for 10 years at the local, national and international level, have supervised countless volunteers in that capacity and other roles, and currently supervise unpaid interns.
I see two questions here. First, should you go non-profit or profit. The easy answer is that it is very unlikely that you would get an internship at a for profit firm since your education is complete. The longer answer is that companies these days have such varied organizational structures and management tactics that I think you have to look at each one individually. For example, a large non-profit hospital system may be on the cutting edge of technology with electronic medical records while a for profit retail chain may be waiting “just one more year” before upgrading the already obsolete POS systems at their stores.
The second question is will volunteering help you get a job? If you do it right, it can. My first recommendation would be to make a list of skills/experience you want to gain from volunteering, then identify the characteristics of the type of company you think would provide you with this experience. You can then target specific types of companies using that criteria. My second recommendation would be that you have a clear idea of the type of role you would like to play within that organization. With that information in hand, you can check out local volunteer opportunities through a volunteer clearinghouse or by contacting organizations directly.
A note of caution: make sure you have a position description before you begin so that you can be sure the role will be what you expect, and discuss your desire to gain specific experience with your volunteer supervisor. (And plan on becoming a member if you volunteer at the PMI chapter.)
