For almost every person there will be a time in their life when they decide that they want to volunteer. There could be numerous reasons why you want to start doing volunteering work - from retirement to plain old fashioned good will. Different people may find different arguments in favour of doing this kind of work or service, if I can put it this way. But how do you get into the world of volunteering?

First of all, you need to make the time to volunteer and before you can start approaching organizations and enquiring about volunteering opportunities, you need to first figure out how much of your time you can dedicate to volunteering. If you are working, then ask your employer if you can have consistent weekdays off, so you can then have regular time to volunteer each week. When you can promise a set amount of time to an organization, then they are much more likely to offer you a volunteering position. So think twice whether you can allocate enough time to this work before you start, otherwise it can be very disappointing for both sides. Next, it is time to think about why you want to volunteer. This may sound obvious, but have a good long think about the reasons why you are volunteering. Is it because you’re passionate about helping others? Is it because you want to meet and spend time with new people? Or is it because you want to gain further experience and qualifications? Knowing your motives can help you decide which organizations and roles are best suited to your wants. Mind there are more opportunities for volunteering than you might know about or imagine.

The next step is to find an organization to volunteer with. You can volunteer at a local homeless shelter or at a charity shop. Maybe you like working with children, in which case the local youth center would be an ideal place to start with. Perhaps animals are more your thing, so you could ask a local animal shelter if they need a hand. As it was mentioned before, there are plenty of places you could volunteer to work with. Simply do your research, find the place that suits you and get in touch. Many organizations don’t advertise that they’re looking for volunteers, so it may be up to you to make the first move and contact them.

So, now you know how much time you can dedicate to volunteering, as well as why you want to volunteer and where you want to do it. The next step is to secure your position working within that organization by writing a CV. This may not be a paid position, but that doesn't mean you should be less ambitious than you normally would be when approaching a potential employer. In your CV you should outline any experience you've had that is relevant to your voluntary position, explain why you want to volunteer and how you would benefit the company. State clearly how much free time you have to dedicate and how long you would be comfortable to work for the organization in terms of days, weeks, and months.

Laying out these clear ground rules will prevent you from being taken advantage of and overworked, and will also help your potential employer understand your needs. Apart from being rewarding in many ways (though not in the financial one), volunteering is often envisaged as an important part of social and personal maturing. No wonder there are so many volunteers among the young people in many countries of the world.