Volunteering

Volunteering is a great extracurricular activity to develop transferable skills, boost your CV and make a difference in the wider community. Corporate social responsibility is a key goal for employers that incorporates sustainable development into a company's business model with a focus on environmental, philanthropic and ethical activities. Volunteering is a fantastic way to demonstrate your commitment to a sector and enrich your time at Imperial.

There is a wide range of volunteering opportunities, so whatever skills and experience you already have, there is likely to be something which you can do. You can volunteer for a few hours a week or you may decide to undertake a longer period of voluntary work during your vacations or after you graduate. It is possible to volunteer for projects in the UK or combine an interest in travelling and volunteering by working in another country.

Volunteering at Imperial        

Volunteering Societies

You can volunteer with fellow students, by taking part in student-led volunteering projects. Imperial has many volunteering societies that support a huge range of social causes

Other opportunities at Imperial

You can support new students' transitions by joining the Welcome Team. The College's Outreach Office host the Pimlico Connection programme, which allows you to be a tutor in local schools. You can also volunteer with What the Tech?! helping elderly members of the White City community to use their smart devices such phones and laptops or volunteer to help out at the Imperial Lates events.

Want to be part of something big? Imperial’s annual Great Exhibition Road Festival is put on with the Science Museum, the V&A, the Natural History Museum and more and it recruits almost 200 volunteers to help deliver it. Welcoming 60,000 people in 2019, it’s a great opportunity to be part of something big. Full training provided. Find out more.

UK or abroad?

Volunteering in the UK

Some resources to look at if you’re interested in volunteering in the UK include Volunteering Matters, the UK's largest volunteering and training organisation, The National Council for Voluntary Organisations, which has details of your local volunteer centre and Do-it.org where you can search for opportunities and apply online.

Volunteering abroad

The ‘Taking a year out' section of our website has further details on opportunities to volunteer aboard. There are organisations such as Bunac, EcoSwell and the International Citizen's Service which will arrange opportunities to volunteer for a variety of projects. Most will charge a fee to cover costs, so ensure that you research the company thoroughly before payment.

How do I pitch my volunteering experience to employers?

Employers are interested in more than just academic background and paid work experience. The other activities you are involved in at College can demonstrate that you have a variety of skills that employers seek. You can include your voluntary work on your CV but make sure that you can highlight what you did and the skills you gained from the experience. See our web pages on writing a CV for more information.

Examples from your voluntary work can also be used to answer questions on application forms or in interviews when you are asked to give examples of when you have worked in a team, had to organise or plan an activity or had to solve a problem. Find out more about how to create effective answers in the section on applications and interviews.