Community service jobs to start your career

Could the experience of a service job outweigh the pay for recent grads? Learn how working for a service program can put your career on the right path.

By John Rossheim, Monster contributor

Volunteer programs do a world of good for the communities they service, but they can also benefit the volunteers themselves. For college grads, spending a year or two in community service positions—and putting off any serious earning—can be a wise career move. The best community service jobs are the ones that will help you develop professionally. You must be willing to assert self-interest when choosing a program and performing the service, and then effectively present the experience to prospective employers once the service is done.

Opportunities for a term of pro bono or low-paying service are diverse, from the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps to organizations devoted to aiding flood victims or making microloans to small businesses in third-world countries. How can volunteer service in one of these programs help launch a career? Let’s lay the groundwork.

Choose a service program that will serve your career, too

First, you need to think about what you want your community-service stint to do for you.

Branching out through community service can help you decide what you want to do in your career. “Service can help people define their goals,” says Siobhan Dugan, a spokeswoman for AmeriCorps.

Working in a nonprofit environment can also give you experience in specific business disciplines, like financial management. “Typically you do budgeting and have to account for every penny you spend, and it’s not a lot of money,” says Dugan.

You can also launch a career by acquiring subject matter skills and first applying them in a charitable setting. “LEED accreditation can position you to work with Habitat for Humanity on sustainability, for example,” says Avi Yashchin, CEO of CleanEdison, a green building consultancy and education provider.

For some business disciplines, you may be better off going large. “If you want to do marketing, for example, it’s probably easier to do that in one of the larger nonprofit organizations,” says Rick Smith, author of The Leap: How 3 Simple Changes Can Propel Your Career From Good to Great.

On the other hand, “you can be more demanding at nonprofits than in heavily formatted programs like AmeriCorps,” says Smith.

Still, others say you’ll get maximum benefit from your year or two of service if you really stretch yourself. “The secret when you pick a program is going against your instinct,” says Seth Godin, a marketing guru, former Monster contributor and author who markets himself as a contrarian. “Your instinct will be to work for the biggest organization, where they’ll tell you what to do. But to get real experience, look for the most shoestring organization you can find, and change everything.”

While serving, consider how your accomplishments will transfer

As soon as you hit the ground in your community service role, start thinking about which activities will further your career.

In many nonprofit situations, there are a wealth of opportunities relevant to your future. “As an AmeriCorps member, you’re always working in organizations that are short-staffed or small,” says Dugan. “So you get a wide variety of experiences and opportunities to develop management and leadership skills.”

Remember to build your professional portfolio as you perform service. “If you wait to market yourself until you’ve finished the program, it’s too late,” says Godin. “Start by blogging your experience every day, so people from the outside can see what you’re doing.”

Market yourself after your service

Some college grads worry that doing community service for a time may raise questions about their interest in corporate careers to prospective employers.

However, more than two-thirds of AmeriCorps alumni said that prospective employers considered their service a plus. “People who do community service come out of the experience confident and aware of the skills that they have,” says Dugan.

Be bold about describing how your stint in service has endowed you with experience that few candidates can claim within two years of graduation. “When you come out of your community service, talk about how you worked with teams, dealt with stress and so on,” says Smith.

Bring your best self to the job search

There is no definitive list of best community service jobs—it all depends on what you want to learn, how you want to contribute, and how it will help you further your career. When you're ready to enter the workforce, you'll want to present your skills and experience to as many potential employers as possible. Could you use some help with that? Join Monster for free today. As a member, you can upload up to five versions of your resume—each tailored to the types of jobs that interest you. Recruiters search Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you. Additionally, you can get job alerts sent directly to your inbox to cut down on time spent looking through ads. Take those two quick and easy steps to set yourself on a promising career path.