More than just donating time, being a volunteer is about creating space to learn, develop skills, build networks, and discover new paths for your life — including in the job market. In this article, we will show how this exchange, which at first seems simple, can become a turning point for those who dedicate themselves with purpose.

Volunteering as a skills laboratory

In a volunteer experience, especially in NGOs like Cidadão Pró-Mundo, the challenges and learnings go far beyond the content taught. When someone takes on the role of educator, coordinator, or support member, they begin to exercise a series of behavioral and technical skills that are increasingly valued in the professional market:

• Clear and effective communication

• Teamwork

• Leadership and people management

• Organization and planning

• Empathy and active listening

• Creativity in problem solving

• Adaptability

All of this in an environment that, although voluntary, requires commitment, responsibility, and ethics — exactly the same pillars that any good company or project demands from its collaborators.

Practical experience that is invaluable

For students and early-career professionals, volunteering can serve as a first practical experience. It is common for universities and selection processes to value (and even require) extracurricular experiences. Volunteer work demonstrates proactivity, involvement with social causes, and the ability to operate outside the comfort zone.

In the case of those who volunteer teaching English, as is the case at CPM, the resume is further enriched. Besides the teaching practice, there is the experience in multicultural environments, the constant use of the language, and the adaptation of content for different student profiles — experiences that directly interact with fields like education, communication, human resources, tourism, translation, among others.

Connections that open doors

Another great benefit of volunteering is the expansion of your contact network. During your work, you meet other engaged people with diverse stories and goals, but who share the same ideal of social transformation. This collaborative environment can generate partnerships, professional referrals, invitations to projects, or even lasting friendships.

In many cases, standout volunteers are invited to take on new challenges, such as coordination positions, event production, development of educational materials, among other fronts. This further provides visibility and the development of strategic skills.

Personal growth: what doesn’t fit on the resume

Besides all the objective points, volunteering touches on something deeper: the connection with purpose. Being part of an action that directly impacts lives, such as teaching English to young people from public schools, revives values like solidarity, collective responsibility, and a sense of community.

Volunteers learn to see the world through different eyes. The experience changes how to deal with frustrations, time, diversity, and challenges. All of this strengthens emotional intelligence and promotes an internal change that often reflects in all areas of life.

Volunteering is not “lesser” work

Many people still underestimate volunteering for not involving financial compensation. However, the impact it generates — both for those who receive and those who give — is immeasurable. More than “lesser” work, volunteering is “greater” work: more purpose, more learning, more meaning.

Companies and recruiters attuned to human value already recognize this. There are numerous accounts of people who secured jobs, scholarships, or promotions thanks to the experiences they gained in social projects.

Start with the cause that touches you

The best way to engage in volunteering is to find a cause you identify with. If you believe in the power of education and want to help build a more just society, Cidadão Pró-Mundo could be the ideal place for this journey.

The NGO conducts selection processes twice a year, always at the end of each semester, to select new volunteers to act as teachers, monitors, and other fundamental roles within the project. It is a real opportunity to unite your desire to teach with your desire to grow.

Being a volunteer is, above all, a choice to be part of the change you want to see in the world. And by doing so truthfully, you not only transform others — you transform yourself too.

So, if you are looking for something that challenges you, motivates you, and prepares you for new professional and personal paths, consider volunteering as an important part of your journey. Because the growth, in this case, is not just a possibility. It is a natural consequence.