CHRISTMAS is about giving – and giving time as a volunteer can also help your career.
Around three in five recent helpers with the Royal Voluntary Service say the work has boosted their job prospects, a study for the charity found. This figure rises to 73 per cent among 16-to-18-year-olds.
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One in ten volunteers say the experience has helped them later to move off benefits and into work, while a third of young people credit it with them landing their first paid job.
With many UK employers now offering paid volunteer days to staff, employees give an estimated 11million days a year — worth £2billion — of their time.
The Amazon Stars scheme recognises and rewards employees of the tech giant for outstanding contribution to their local community. Hundreds of Amazon staff in the UK are nominated each year.
Musical mentor Joseph Wilson won his award for offering free music and songwriting lessons to young people through his volunteer group Church Play.
Joseph, 32, a team lead at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dartford, Kent, plays the drums, bass and piano and also runs his own YouTube music channel.
He received a £1,000 donation for his group, plus a speaker and tickets to an Amazon Music event.
Joseph said: “The most rewarding part of sharing my gifts with young people one-on-one and through Church Play is watching them grow into great people.
“I want to reach young people who are at risk of joining gangs, to show them that there’s a better way.”
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John Boumphrey, Amazon UK country manager, said: “The Amazon Stars initiative was first conceived during the Covid pandemic, to celebrate our employees who go above and beyond to help others in their communities.
“We received such an overwhelming response of incredible stories about employees who use their talents and passions to help others, we were then delighted to keep the programme going.
“I am proud to have such dedicated colleagues who go the extra mile to help others.”
Volunteers are doing great work
PILOT turned Amazon shift manager Jack Moore was nominated for an Amazon Star after raising thousands for charity by completing aerobatic flight challenges.
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The 21-year-old, from Birmingham, also mentors young people from disadvantaged backgrounds hoping to break into the aviation industry.
Jack said: “The support I receive from Amazon to mentor young people is excellent, and the ethos for community engagement on site is incredible.”
KERRY Robinson has spent 25 years helping animal welfare charities, alongside caring for her own pets, including four horses, six cats and a dog.
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The Amazon receptionist volunteers at Leeds-based horse, pony and donkey sanctuary Hope Pastures every Saturday and has won the centre a £1,000 donation.
Kerry, 47, from Wakefield, West Yorks, said: “I have a real passion for speaking up for those that don’t have a voice and can’t advocate for themselves.”
FESTIVE TIPS FOR NEW JOB
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WHILE many will be planning some downtime until January, Christmas can be a chance to plot your next job move.
Here, Amanda Augustine, career expert at TopCV, shares her top festive tips.
- SEND SEASON’S GREETINGS: Use the holidays as an excuse to re-engage with your personal and professional networks. Send a Christmas card or email.
- TURN EVENTS INTO OPPORTUNITIES: Whether it’s a family get-together, a festive party or an open house, get networking.
- SPREAD FESTIVE LOVE: Take advantage of the holidays to promote your personal brand and network with the colleagues whose paths you don’t usually cross.
- FIND A MENTOR: If you have someone in mind with whom you would like to develop a mentor relationship, send a Christmas card or festive email.
- REMEMBER THE RECRUITERS: If you dipped your toe into the job-search pool in the past year and are still interested in exploring new opportunities, send holiday greetings to recruiters and employers. Update them on your recent activities and reiterate your interest in working with them in the future.
- GIVE YOURSELF AN XMAS GIFT: Use the Boxing Day sales to update your professional tools. Maybe you need networking outfits, a ring light and noise-cancelling headphones for Zoom calls or an online course.
HUMANS BEAT AI
DESPITE worries that artificial intelligence is taking over the world of work, new research reveals the top five requirements asked for in job ads this year were all human skills.
The Pearson Skills Outlook report found communication, organisation and customer service were the most in-demand attributes, followed by attention to detail and teamwork. It predicts collaboration, customer focus and personal learning will be the most-sought-after ones by 2026.
Pearson workforce skills president Mike Howells said: “While technical skills are important for many jobs, employers are now realising that human skills are the power skills that really help people stay relevant and adaptable in a changing world.”
SHOW PAY ON ADS
COMPANIES that don’t include salaries on job ads could be missing out on one in five potential applicants.
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Research shows 57 per cent of workers say they would be much less likely to apply for a role if the salary range wasn’t stated upfront, with 20 per cent refusing to apply at all.
The study from Perspectus Global found nine in ten people back firms being forced to put salary details on all job adverts.
Jon Horsley, of Perspectus, said: “With several states in the US having made it a legal requirement for employers to publish salaries on job ads, a backlash against the phrase ‘competitive salary’ is gaining momentum in the UK. If your salary is so competitive, why don’t you publish it?”
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THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY’s apprenticeships are open to apply for at www.rhs.org.uk/
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
