One in five hiring managers say they hired someone because of their volunteer experience. (Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com)
For most people, searching for a new job is a pretty straightforward deal. You enter one of the dozens of job boards online, look around, and start sending out CVs. But where would you go to find a volunteering position? LinkedIn has considered the issue and found a convenient solution to connect people willing to donate their time for the greater good with nonprofit organizations looking for volunteers. With the inception of Volunteer Marketplace in early 2014, members can now locate skill-based volunteer opportunities and nonprofit positions while nonprofits can access vast online network of over 250 million professionals worldwide to find people who are interested in volunteering for a good cause.
“We know members want to use their skills to change the world and volunteer,” Meg Garlinghouse, head of LinkedIn for Good said, adding that a survey among LinkedIn members showed that 82 percent said they want to volunteer their time and skills. And if helping out others isn’t motivation enough, in the same survey, more than 40 percent of hiring managers said they consider volunteer work equivalent to full-time work and one in five hiring managers even said they hired someone because of volunteer experience.
So far, an impressive 10 million people have indicated on their LinkedIn profiles that they want to volunteer or serve on the board of a nonprofit. “What we’re really noticing from our members, and maybe it’s a sign of the times or the millennial generation, but professionals really are interested in using their talents to change the world,” Garlinghouse said.
With all these people wanting to do good, LinkedIn may be on the right path to help make the world just a tiny bit better.
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