How volunteering helped me find my dream job

Landing your first job when you’ve just graduated from university can be difficult without relevant work experience. That’s why 30-year old Kay decided to explore volunteering as a way of building her CV.  

“I decided to volunteer to gain the relevant experience and came across Healthwatch Gloucestershire when I was looking for jobs in public health online.

“I attended some local meetings with Healthwatch, which is when the volunteer officer saw the potential I had and encouraged me to get involved in the Foods and Families Project.”

The Foods and Families Project was a short-term study which looked at the eating habits of Podsmead residents and was run by Healthwatch Gloucestershire and a local research consultancy called Evolving Communities.

Although initially Kay got involved as a volunteer, by supporting this piece of work she went on to be the project’s Community Researcher.

“Volunteering is a great way of opening many doors that couldn’t be opened before. I never thought volunteering could give me so many options and lead to the career path I’m currently on.

“I would say to anyone currently looking for a job – volunteering is a great way to start. Healthwatch has helped me to use my degree and get the job I wanted.

“Importantly, it’s helped me see the great potential within myself. I get to meet new people every day and experience so many different things.