Giving time is ticket to success in the credit crunch

This month posters are going up outside entertainment venues in Birmingham and London in a bid to persuade young people to make a positive difference to the lives of others, as the UK’s leading volunteering charity CSV says: "volunteering boosts career and job prospects".

CSV is launching the recruitment campaign following a snapshot survey on the impact of volunteering to careers and job prospects that showed that giving up between 6-12 months can improve employability and much needed skills.

From CSV to CV

UK Director for Full-Time Volunteering at CSV, Is Szoneberg said: “In the current climate volunteering is more important than ever as a route back to work. The experiences of former volunteers have shown us how giving up time to make a positive difference to the lives of others can help your CV stand out from the crowd, and improve your chances of landing your dream job.  To anyone worrying about jobs now, our message is clear – volunteering improves employment prospects, and really is the only way to beat the credit crunch.”

With financial experts predicting that the credit crunch will last until 2010, and leading employers already predicting a cut in graduate vacancies for 2009 by 5.4%, CSV is encouraging young people to take up a year placement and start re-applying for jobs when the worst is over.

Rebecca Salari, 25, from Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham), is a Marketing and Communications Officer for a health charity. She finished her full-time volunteering placement in April 2008 and went straight into employment.

Rebecca says: “I think it is a great way to use your time positively when your future may seem uncertain and you’re unsure which direction your career is heading.”

Notes:
Graduate Recruiters Survey 2009 – financial experts are predicting that the credit crunch will last until 2010.

The CSV survey March 2009 – 89% of respondents said: ‘volunteering boosts job prospects’.