I was part of Warwick Volunteers during all of my four years at University. It was such a big part of my University life and I had such a great time!
University is a time of self-improvement but being able to take some time out of every-day student life to give something back and help others is immensely rewarding – and makes a nice change from the library! I’ve definitely made friends for life through Warwick Volunteers and would recommend it to everyone. Even if you feel like you wouldn’t have time to commit to a project, the one-off volunteering events provide great opportunities to get involved.
I joined Warwick Volunteers as a Right to Read volunteer in my 1st year and was lucky enough to be one of the Project Leaders during my 2nd year before moving onto the Student Executive Committee as President in my 3rd year. I am always talking about Warwick Volunteers and the skills I developed while volunteering in interviews and at assessment days – it gives you an edge! When asked at a recent interview what my proudest moment has been to date, I immediately spoke about my role on the WV Exec and increasing student participation on campus with the result of more volunteering hours logged! Recruiters want to know you can liaise with a range of people and volunteering demonstrates that you have had experience with this. Volunteering shows you are proactive, caring and willing to move out of your comfort zone; it makes a great conversation starter and provides you with lots of stories and answers to potential interview questions!
If I could do my university time again, I would like to have kept a diary detailing exactly what I did through Warwick Volunteers, as well as in other aspects of my university life. It would have allowed me to keep an accurate account of any challenges I faced and how I handled them. This reflective exercise would have helped me organise my thoughts effectively and prepare for interviews.

Find me on LinkedIn if you have any questions! Good luck!