Going straight in to looking for a new paid job may not be the right alternative for you at this time. An alternative to paid work maybe volunteering for a non-profit agency, here we aim to provide you with some ideas and information pertaining to volunteering in Australia.

So, what is it that Volunteers actually do? In Australia the four most common types of organisation for which people volunteered are

• Sport and physical recreation
• Education and training
• Community/welfare
• Religious groups.

The most common activities that volunteers undertake are:

• Fundraising: 48%
• Preparing and serving food: 31%
• Teaching/providing information: 28%
• Administration: 26% 

Many volunteers are also involved in caring for others with special needs, beyond the level of care usually called on in family life.

Volunteering Australia report that the top reason for volunteering was ‘Helping others or the community’ 57%, followed by ‘personal satisfaction’ at 44%, and ‘to do something worthwhile’ at 36%.

Volunteering maybe a great way to share your skills and develop new ones before taking your next paid role.

Go Volunteering.com offer the following suggesting to help you find the right volunteering role for you

• Contact your local volunteering centre
• Contact your local council
• Look at your local newspaper
• Contact your local neighbourhood house or community centre
• Ask for information about their volunteering opportunities or information about other
  volunteer involving organisations in the area.

Interested in volunteering in a specific sector?

If you have decided on the sector where you might like to volunteer, you could
consider the following options:

Health: You might like to phone a local hospital or community health service and ask about their volunteering opportunities.

Education: Enquire at schools and other education institutions

Environment: Enquire at your local council and other environmental
organisations both locally and nationally.

Sport and recreation: Contact your local council for information on sporting clubs and groups, or visit the websites of state bodies for particular sports.

Arts/culture: Enquire at local museums, libraries and not-for-profit galleries and heritage centres.

Emergency: Using either the phone book or website look for volunteer based fire, emergency, surf life saving, first aid, ambulance or coast guard/patrol groups.

Business/professional/union: Contact your local chamber of commerce or a professional body or union you belong to or are interested in supporting.

Law/justice/political: Enquire at the head office in your state for the contact details of local branches or political parties. Another option would be to contact the Department of Justice in your state for information about volunteer programs that support people dealing with the justice system.

Look for more information on the following websites:

• Community
• Volunteering Australia
• Go Volunteer
• Seniors
• Job Search
• Seek Volunteer