As more and more millennials enter the workforce, the way we work and jobs we do are changing rapidly.  But getting into the workforce can be challenging when you don’t have experience.

Chances are your life has been easier than your parents’ lives. You might have a higher income, a nicer home or lower debt, and if you have teenagers at home, they might not work part-time because you want them to focus on sport or study.

Have you questioned whether that might be make it difficult for them to get a job when they finish their studies, or reach the end of their junior sporting career? To get a leg up it might be time they realised life’s not all about them. And the more they realise it’s about everyone but them, the likelier they are to find themselves ahead of the curve when it comes to landing that position.

The answer, my fellow parents, is in volunteering. We’ve all done it, particularly if we’ve grown up in a community where people band together to get things done.

Along with Volunteering SA&NT, Business SA, the State Government and the Local Government Association are working together on strategies to maximise the value of volunteering.

Our recent Business SA – William Buck Survey of Business Expectations asked about volunteering and whether it influenced employers. A high 76 per cent said volunteering on a resume influenced their decision to offer someone a job.

More than three quarters of employers told us volunteering demonstrated a person’s willingness to go that extra mile, showed strength of character and the ability to work and get along with others. Another 74 per cent found it demonstrated reliability and passion and commitment to a particular field. Volunteers weren’t focussed on themselves and they had transferrable experience.

It didn’t matter if the candidate volunteered in an area completely outside of their work field. Employers were more interested in the commitment and values it demonstrated. While work in their field was important, employers were also interested in community involvement, people who worked with the vulnerable, sports coaching and committee membership.

Youth unemployment sits at 15.2 per cent and the state’s unemployment rate at 5.7. Volunteering can stand someone above the crowd. I have been hired based on my own personal volunteering experience and hired candidates based on their volunteerism.

If you’ve never volunteered before and want to start, Volunteering SA&NT’s app, WeDo, helps people search for roles, apply online and record hours.

Aged care, community and disability services are a great avenue for volunteering, as are sporting clubs. Councils always want to hear our youths’ opinions. There are charities from Anglicare to Foodbank to the Royal Society for the Blind.

Volunteering for an hour or two each week isn’t a burden, particularly when it comes to consolidating career prospects and helping those who need it.

This article was originally published in the South Australian Business Journal on Tuesday 26 March 2019.

Anthony Penney is Business SA's Director of Industry and Government Engagement.