Volunteering for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Whether you want to be a meet-and-greeter, driver, a medical volunteer, or one of a vast number of other roles, there’s something for you. The games’ organisers need to recruit a staggering 15,000 volunteers who will work a combined one million hours between them. You don’t even need to be based on the Gold Coast. Cycling and Shooting will be staged in Brisbane, with the Basketball preliminaries hosted in Cairns and Townsville.

Being a volunteer isn’t just about giving. You can get a lot back in return from being involved in such an event - both personally and professionally. For example, your track record of volunteering can often put you ahead of the pack when it comes to job hunting.

Here are three ways being part of the volunteer team could benefit you:

1. Volunteering is as credible as paid work.
   When it comes to future employment a potential employer will see the role you did at GC2018, not whether it was voluntary or paid. It’s the experience that matters. SEEK research has found that 95% of employers agree that volunteering can be a credible way of gaining real-work experience to add to your resume. In fact, as long as the volunteering work is relevant to the role or industry you want to work in, 85% of employers believe that it’s just as credible as paid work. What does this mean? It means that as well as having fun and building life long memories your volunteering experience should most definitely feature in your resume or application, especially if you are a first time jobseeker or looking to step into a new career.

2. Volunteering can be advantageous in a job interview.
   As for more experienced workers, you might have nailed the selection criteria, written a tip-top resume, and feel confident with how you performed in the interview. But what about the volunteer work you’ve done? Did you mention that?

   All types of volunteering can benefit the community and leave you glowing at the fact you’ve done something good. You’re also being an ambassador for your country.

   Did you know that a whopping 92% of employers said relevant volunteer experience gives candidates an advantage in job interviews? Your time at GC2018 could prove highly relevant for that events manager, marketing, or public health role you applied for.

   Increasingly interviewees ask about volunteering because it tells them a lot about you. The high profile nature of these games is very likely to capture their imagination and start conversations.

3. Volunteering demonstrates valuable personality traits.
   Volunteering tells prospective employers a great deal about who you are, aside from what they’ve learned via your resume and role-related questions during the recruitment process.

   “Volunteering can demonstrate personality traits that are sometimes difficult to convey in a profile or interview,” says Katrina Hudson, Manager, SEEK Volunteer ANZ. “Furthermore, employers are telling us that volunteering can speak real volumes about a candidate’s dedication and commitment to causes,”

   Your volunteer experience also paints a much clearer picture of your personality and core values. SEEK Volunteer research revealed that being motivated, socially responsible, and proactive were the top three personality traits associated with Australians who volunteered. These are also traits employers in any industry are likely to value highly.

   In addition to this, there’s hardly a job where being proactive and trustworthy isn’t desirable, and think of all the jobs that require good people-skills! This is precisely where your volunteering efforts pay off.

   Even employers who haven’t personally taken part in a volunteer activity still have an incredibly favourable attitude towards volunteering.

So, if you volunteer, it’s likely you’re the type of person willing to go above and beyond what’s expected, which is something worth celebrating wherever you go.