Why Everyone Should Volunteer At Least Once
Let’s agree, volunteer is becoming mainstream, and isn’t that a good thing? People around the world volunteer for different reasons: some want to contribute to the society, some want to change the world, some are getting experience and some volunteer for the sake of travel. I see volunteering as an action call to show that we are so much more and yet get the very best experiences.
I joined The Shortcut as a volunteer about 2 months ago, and yet everyday makes my beliefs in the community stronger. I was seeking some experience to keep me busy, enable me to express myself and to do something meaningful. I found so much more than that.
Step out of your comfort zone
Comfort zone is what makes us comfortable and familiar to the surroundings, yet change one puzzle and you’re feeling insecure. Change the whole picture and you’re totally lost. Many are afraid to step out, but most learning and excitement happens right here.
Within a startup community you pick up tasks you’ve never dealt before with and that’s ok! The community is there to help and guide you whenever needed. You just need to make a step.
Want to meet new people?
Volunteer communities are generally very strong and interconnected. That makes a difference. You get a job in order to earn your living, but you come to volunteering out of curiosity. We all have a common goal and it isn’t about making money. By volunteering you show your passion and meet like-minded people, whom you would never meet otherwise.
At The Shortcut we have about 20 regular volunteers. Now add more than 600 frequent community members. Add one more time countless professional networks, trainers, coaches, company representatives that share the mission of The Shortcut and repeatedly visit our events. Here you will learn more than ever and meet people of all possible backgrounds and interests. We all started as volunteers and ended up being friends.
Innovate!
As a volunteer you can work in this area with zero prior experience and you will be supported. Want to start your own project? Want to make an interest club? Go for it! We believe in personal growth and empower any input in order to achieve the common goal. You might want to come for one evening or might stick around for years, you might take a break.
The best way to have a good idea is to have loads of ideas. — Linus Pauling
This is how, our Java Script Club has been running every single Thursday for an entire year thanks to the proactive volunteers. The School of Startups has evolved from a 2-day event into an intensive 3-weeks series of workshops solely thanks to the hard work of our volunteer community.
Startups
New to startup life? Want to be an entrepreneur, but looking for inspiration? The Shortcut could be your link to the startup world, as it’s closely connected to the startup infrastracture here in Finland.
Without doubt, volunteering is a great way to showcase your skills and get noticed. So why not have fun and do business at the same time?
After all, it’s all about how you see The Shortcut and what we can do together. This coming autumn we have more events than ever coming and we are excited to have you with us. View available positions on our website and reach out to kati(at)theshortcut.org
