Professional Advancement through Volunteer Work
Lewizki, Elsa (2023)
2023
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023053015922
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023053015922
Tiivistelmä
This thesis studying professional advancement through volunteer work is written for Amnesty International Finland. The objective of this research is to determine whether individuals who have volunteered in the past have gained work or personal experience to advance them in their professional careers, in the same or a different field of work than where they have volunteered, and whether volunteering helps individuals advance in their professional careers.
The thesis consists of a theoretical introduction followed by an empirical section. The theory section gives a comprehensive grasp of how professional development can be achieved through volunteering by drawing on internet source materials that are relevant to the topic. In the empirical portion, survey data and analysis are the primary focus. The research was conducted by gathering data using quantitative methods and analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. This was done in order to gain a better grasp of the significance, functions, and objectives of volunteering from the perspective of employability. Additionally, a number of volunteer activity experiences are presented in the research itself.
The data was acquired using a quantitative structured survey of multiple-choice and open-ended questions that the commissioning organisation Amnesty International Finland dis-tributed to former volunteers through their connections, and that the author distributed through personal volunteer networks. Multiple former volunteer experiences were repre-sented in the sample. There were 23 responses in total. The survey was created using Google Forms and distributed by Amnesty International Finland through their email con-tacts and by the author through Facebook and WhatsApp.
The outcome of this thesis provides vital information regarding the impact of volunteering on the professional careers of individuals. The main objective of this thesis is to demonstrate the attractiveness of volunteering from the perspective of work experience growth and personal development, and how volunteering can be applied to individuals’ real life work experience. The purpose is to provide an insight into acquired volunteer experience and how individuals apply it to their professional careers.
The results showed that volunteering offers multiple advantages to a person’s professional development. In most cases volunteering assisted volunteers with practical, social and personal development, which benefited their professional development. This research showed that volunteering experience is highly valued by employers, provides volunteers with confidence, skills and opportunities otherwise not attainable, and is an excellent way to enter a career field and discover one’s field of interest.
The thesis consists of a theoretical introduction followed by an empirical section. The theory section gives a comprehensive grasp of how professional development can be achieved through volunteering by drawing on internet source materials that are relevant to the topic. In the empirical portion, survey data and analysis are the primary focus. The research was conducted by gathering data using quantitative methods and analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. This was done in order to gain a better grasp of the significance, functions, and objectives of volunteering from the perspective of employability. Additionally, a number of volunteer activity experiences are presented in the research itself.
The data was acquired using a quantitative structured survey of multiple-choice and open-ended questions that the commissioning organisation Amnesty International Finland dis-tributed to former volunteers through their connections, and that the author distributed through personal volunteer networks. Multiple former volunteer experiences were repre-sented in the sample. There were 23 responses in total. The survey was created using Google Forms and distributed by Amnesty International Finland through their email con-tacts and by the author through Facebook and WhatsApp.
The outcome of this thesis provides vital information regarding the impact of volunteering on the professional careers of individuals. The main objective of this thesis is to demonstrate the attractiveness of volunteering from the perspective of work experience growth and personal development, and how volunteering can be applied to individuals’ real life work experience. The purpose is to provide an insight into acquired volunteer experience and how individuals apply it to their professional careers.
The results showed that volunteering offers multiple advantages to a person’s professional development. In most cases volunteering assisted volunteers with practical, social and personal development, which benefited their professional development. This research showed that volunteering experience is highly valued by employers, provides volunteers with confidence, skills and opportunities otherwise not attainable, and is an excellent way to enter a career field and discover one’s field of interest.