Why you should get involved:
Apart from positively impacting the lives of others, participating in community service activities pays greatly into your personal growth. Amongst the transferable skills you stand to gain are:

1. Leadership/proactivity: Every single volunteer's experience is entirely different from another. Taking part in or leading a project gives you the chance to make it your own, and allows you to create something you can be proud of. Embarking on a project also means an opportunity to network with other like-minded, compassionate individuals, with whom you could collaborate on future initiatives.

2. Confidence: It takes courage to step out of your comfort zone, but confidence empowers you to reach out and want to touch the lives of others. Determination, as well as dedication, are key in gaining the trust of service users, and making both parties' experiences worthwhile. Also, never underestimate the power of a confident smile!

3. Increased social awareness: If you have been fortunate enough to have lived a relatively comfortable life, exposure to groups in less fortunate circumstances will bring enlightenment on the challenges they struggle with. They will hopefully also inspire you to share their stories and encourage others to engage in volunteering.

4. Ability to listen and thoughtfulness: Be it paying attention to the ideas and opinions of your fellow volunteers or reading cues from service users, an ability to listen and being in-tune with your surroundings will definitely make you stand out as an applicant in all job fields. Heightened intuition means knowing what you need to do, how to do it, and when, without causing unrest in any given situation.