More on Fired-to-Hired: Fired-to-Hired Home The Ends or the Means? Your 30 Second Elevator Speech All Jobs Are Temporary Don't Just Stand There Do What You Love Resume Mistakes Being Realistic About the Job Market Keep Your Digital Act Clean Volunteering: "Giving Back" Can Pay Off Fired-to-Hired Expert: Tory Johnson, Fired-to-Hired Expert Additional Resources: Guide to Career Change

By comparison, telling a potential employer that you gave back to your community might not necessarily seal the deal, but it can’t hurt.

Plus, volunteering offers yet another great way to connect with potential employers or networking contacts and to build your resume. And there’s nothing like a dose of reality to keep your own work woes in perspective.

So during your job search, find a little time to give back.

Volunteer opportunities are endless and exist everywhere. From spending one Saturday a month cleaning up a public park to volunteering your accounting skills to balance the books of a day care center, non-profit organizations offer numerous ways to contribute your time. When choosing a volunteer organization, remember the following tips:

• Be up front about your commitment level.
  
  Many non-profit organizations “rely on the kindness of strangers” as Blanche DuBois might say, so they understand that you have other commitments and they are usually willing to take as much time as you can comfortably give.
  
  Be clear about the time you have and that you may cut back your commitment when you find a fulltime job. This will help the organization give you tasks that can fit into your schedule.
  
  
• Share your goals.
  
  It’s okay to tell a volunteer organization that you are there to help your career and job search. As long as you are genuine in your desire to help, they will more than likely be happy to give you tasks that will advance your skills or allow you to meet more people in your industry.
  
  For instance, you can volunteer to work on a fundraiser attended by executives in your field if you want an inside route to a media company, or you can volunteer at an animal shelter if you aspire to be a vet. Often your industry association can match you with a volunteer organization looking for help.
  
  
• Volunteer in politics.
  
  Republican, Democrat, Independent or Green, political candidates are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers. Working on a political campaign is exciting, interesting and often exhausting.
  
  Campaign staff will often give you as much responsibility as you can handle, so be prepared to work hard, especially as a campaign nears its conclusion.
  
  But the long hours put in by many volunteers can have a nice payoff: when candidates are elected, they often hire campaign workers who have demonstrated commitment, expertise, and a good work ethic to serve as fully-paid members of their staff.

Bottom Line:

The pay back for you can be multi-facited. Volunteering can be an excellent way to expand your network, particularly if you are interested in working in the non-profit sector.  But even if you don't want a career in non-profits or the government sector, you should find other volunteers and staff members who may become good long-term friends, increasing the size of your network.  And, in addition to filling in a time gap on your resume, you may also be able to fill in an experience gap by volunteering to work in a field where you need experience, like maintaining a spreadsheet or creating (or contributing to) a marketing plan.  You'll have contributed to society, expanded your network, and polished up your resume, too.

© Copyright, 2010, Tory Johnson. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

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About This Author:

Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the author of Fired to Hired.  She’s also the workplace contributor on ABC’s Good Morning America. Talk to her directly at Twitter.com/ToryJohnson.