Upskill and Accelerate Your Career by Volunteering

When you think of volunteering, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? 🤔

Many people think volunteering is tough, that they lack the knowledge, or that they just don’t have enough time. But here’s the thing: those are all myths. You can volunteer your time to support others in many different ways, and trust me, you have more than enough knowledge to do so. ✨

Let’s talk about something we all wish we had more of: time. ⏳

How often have you found yourself scrolling on social media or watching a TV show, only to realize that time flew by? And I am not saying you shouldn’t do it. Taking time for ourselves is essential. Go for a walk, read a book, watch a good movie, or why not? Do nothing at all. However, if you consider how much time you spend on things that aren’t super meaningful, you may find two or three hours a week to volunteer for something that matters to a lot of people.

Volunteering isn’t new to me. I had loved this since I was a teenager when I helped up a non-profit organization by making soup for homeless people and pitching in wherever needed. After changing careers to the technology field after my 40s - without any tech background -I developed a real appreciation for those who stopped to help me along the way. I needed and still need help—a lot! So, now, I try to return the favor. Ah, here is an interesting detail: I am still a beginner.

When I started helping other beginners, especially women like me with no tech background, I realized that you don’t need to be an expert to start sharing what you know. Each of us learns differently, and there’s always someone who could use your insights and guidance.

📍 If you want to upskill and boost your growth, volunteering can be an incredible way to do it. I will give my 2 cents by listing three reasons to get started:

1 - Build Your Technical Skills 👩🏻‍💻
Volunteering to teach or mentor forces you to brush up on your own knowledge. You often need to review concepts you didn’t remember or learn something new as you prepare content, answers, or explanations. Researching and/or organizing information can deepen your understanding of a topic.
As I mentioned, you don’t need to be a guru. Just by sharing what you know, you’re helping someone else succeed on their journey. It’s not about giving solutions or walking the path for them but about facilitating their learning process.

2 - Strengthen Your People Skills 🫶🏻
People skills are crucial, and like any skills, they can be learned and developed. I can’t think of a better way to build your skills than volunteering to teach or mentor people.
It will develop your ability to express your ideas and explain technical content in a way that’s easy to grasp. Communication skills are gold, whether you are being interviewed, collaborating in teams, discussing projects, or presenting solutions.

3 - Experience Personal Growth 🤩
Volunteering exposes you to diverse life stories and challenges. You get to hear about others' struggles, failures, and successes, which can be incredibly inspiring. This exposure builds empathy, patience, resilience, and humility—qualities that enrich both your personal and professional life and make a difference wherever you go. We are all humans, after all.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Interested in volunteering? Here’s where you can start:

Mentoring 💻

If you are still a student, chances are there is some mentoring program in your school or university. Check out local Meetup groups in areas that interest you. There, you can make connections to offer mentoring and ask around about other mentoring opportunities for you to join. You can also post on LinkedIn to let others know you’re open to mentoring.
Creating a Calendly account or using another scheduling platform is a valuable tool for managing your available time for mentoring.

Teaching 👩🏻‍🏫

Nonprofits are wonderful places to volunteer and help others develop new skills. Volunteers are usually very welcome. Check your city council’s website or simply Google nonprofit opportunities in your area. Once you’ve decided to volunteer, there’s nothing stopping you from finding the perfect fit.

Tech community and content creation 📝

Tech meetups are excellent for networking, learning, and sharing knowledge. You can organize knowledge-sharing events or create content like talks and articles to volunteer your time and help others while you build confidence and technical knowledge as a bonus prize.

💡 I recommend starting from scratch—research, write, and organize your thoughts. Still, AI has infinite tools to support your content creation, so there is no shame in using it to review and refine your work. 🤖

These are just a few examples of how you can volunteer, but there are many other ways to give your time to help others. By doing so, you’re also fast-tracking your own growth.
If you have other ideas for volunteering, share them in the comments. That way, you’re already starting to volunteer your time by helping others.
For those who have followed me in this article until the end, what are you waiting for to start? ❤️