There are many reasons to reflect on your volunteer experience
Finding your passion
With so many organizations and opportunities around Bloomington, finding the causes and activities you really love can take time. Reflecting upon each volunteer experience you do can help you determine what you’re best at, what you enjoy and what you’d like to try in the future.
Improvement
Each volunteer experience is unique and requires different skills. You’ll learn hands-on through each activity, perhaps even stepping out of your comfort zone at times. When you reflect on an experience, think about what you learned and what you may have struggled with; use that to guide you in your next experience.
Tracking progress
Volunteering isn’t always easy, so it’s important to look at how far you’ve come! Tracking your progress — whether by hours spent volunteering, number of experiences, or type of experiences — will help you understand the impact of your work and how you’ve grown.
Career resources
Remember that volunteer experiences can be great career development opportunities, or even just extra activities to diversify your worldview! Listing the volunteer opportunities you’ve done can help boost a resume. Sharing stories about your experiences can be a great talking point in an interview or meeting. Volunteering has many benefits!