Can't get a job? Then why not volunteer!
I can't count the number of people I know who are currently unemployed, out
of education and generally idle in every possible way and that's not an expense at my maths skills either. These people like to
complain about their situation: they spam Facebook, Twitter and any other social medium
they can get their lazy paws on with tales of woe about their lacklustre
lives. "I'm so bored! I wish I had something to DO with my life!" "Someone
amuse me, I'm so depressed..." We all know at least one of these people. I was one
myself, I'm rather ashamed to say until I realised what an utter buffoon I had been...
Yes, the economy isn't great and it's bloody hard to get a job. Yes, I
understand that further education isn't an option for everyone. But there's a
solution to the unemployment blues that is so blatantly obvious that it is a
testament to my own stupidity that it took me so long to notice it myself.
Volunteering, folks. It doesn't matter which charity you choose, whether
you like people, animals or something else entirely - most of these guys
desperately need volunteers with flexible schedules and lots of free time. For
me, it was a natural choice. Having recently gone from having six cats to having
absolutely none, the Cats Protection was both a way to get my cat-fix and
something to take my mind off other things. And you know what? It feels
amazing. If you won't do it to help out the needy, then do it to make yourself
feel good. Yeah, it's a selfish attitude but the charity gets much-needed help
and you get out of bed before 1pm on a weekday.
Now I'm sure our readers aren't that selfish. Of course, many of you love people and
their furry companions! Why wouldn't you want to make sure some poor abandoned
animals have a nice, cosy place to stay while they wait for their forever home?
Or maybe you'd rather help run a store that raises money for homeless people?
Either way, the opportunities are right there waiting for you to get off your
lazy good-for-nothing bum and take them! In this day and age, it's not even
hard to get involved. That's right, you don't even have to leave your house (I
bet you haven't even showered yet anyway). Most of these charities have
websites now, complete with numbers to phone or forms to fill out to get you
straight into volunteering. You even have a small amount of choice about what
you actually do for them - for example, the Cats Protection need both
volunteers to clean out cat pens, and also people to run their charity shops
for them. Did you know that, legally, every charity shop needs to have at least
two people there to open every day? Think about how hard that is to do when most of the
volunteers have day jobs. And if they don't open, they don't sell anything and
before long some very needy animals/people start to go without.
If you really still need more encouragement, then consider
this: a few weeks of volunteering would look just wonderful on your C.V to potential employers. You
never know, it might even help you finally break free of the hell that is
unemployment. And if it doesn't, well at least you'll feel darned good about
yourself!
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and pick the cat hair off my clothes...
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and pick the cat hair off my clothes...
