We Can’t All Volunteer

Previously, when parents asked me what their children should do to boost their resumes and college applications, I would suggest volunteering for something they truly cared about. It shouldn’t be about a one-time “this would look pretty good” opportunity. It should be something they can speak to with passion. It should be something that demonstrates their dedication to what they care about.

This sounded like great advice, but it really wasn’t, and I know I’m not the only one who has been spreading this thought. It says to students that having the privilege to volunteer is the only way they can get a leg up, and not every student has the time or resources to do this. Maybe they don’t have the connections to get into a more selective volunteer program or the money to travel. Maybe they can’t get a ride, or maybe they have an actual job. 

What if they work in a coffee shop, they’ve worked there for two years, and because of this they’ve never had a long term volunteer experience or been in ten clubs and sports? This is where we need to change the dialogue. I won’t promise the job is better than the ten clubs and volunteering and being the captain of the soccer team, but I will say it’s at least as impressive. It shows dedication. It shows responsibility. It shows maturity. It’s not as if these students said to themselves “I would hate to play sports so I’d rather work at Target” or “volunteering isn’t for me”. These students realized that, for whatever reason, an afterschool job was the way to go.

So, instead of suggesting that a student volunteer for something they’re passionate about, I should be suggesting that a student find something they can commit to that demonstrates their best qualities, whether that be maturity, compassion, dedication, or whatever they want to show the world. Let us set students up for success instead of implying to them that they have to do what only some have the privilege to do and what doesn’t necessarily show their passions and best traits.