Adeayo Adekunle: How Volunteering Can Boost Your Career Experience

Adeayo Adekunle is the Community Manager at The Comms Avenue.

Undergraduates and young professionals often struggle with, and wonder how to gain work experience especially when all they have is less than a year of experience at most, as a result of internships or short-term stints here and there. 

It is a bit outrageous that when they finish university, or even while they are still in university, they come across job opportunities that explicitly state a need to have one or two years of experience. Unbelievable, right? This is especially daunting if you have spent four years in university studying Mass Communication but still doubt whether you meet the requirements for the job.

What distinguishes a Communications professional with five years experience from one with two years, is simply the passage of time, and what one has done with that time. Experience cannot be bought: one needs to gain experience. 

So, is volunteering really free labour? I don’t think so. I believe that it’s a symbiotic relationship, especially when both parties are giving value. 

Let’s not forget that although most organisations benchmark pay based on experience, some might not really be concerned about whether one volunteered to gain experience. That being said, I would not encourage you to take every volunteering opportunity, as it might not align with the career goals you have for yourself. 

I started volunteering at the age of sixteen because I wanted to be an on-air personality. My dad advised me to find a unitised community radio station in my university, called Lead City Radio, to gain experience. I reached out to my friends who had an existing programme to just express my interest, landed the job, and started my journey of volunteering.

As a Social Media Manager at Envisage Hub, I learnt about social media Marketing and teamwork. As a Radio Host for Teen Expressions, I improved my hosting skills, learnt people management, and managed the show’s social media page. As a Social Media Manager for Product Tank Lagos, I created educative content for Product Managers and learnt about the field.

As a Social Media Manager for the Interswitch Developer Community, I grew followers by 80% and engagement by 60% and contributed to a campaign. As a Social Media Manager for Tedx Lead City University, I grew the Instagram page by 80% which led to an increase in brand awareness and a 90% engagement rate, as well as contributed to the event’s success. 

All these experiences helped to build my confidence as a professional and I’ve been able to utilise these skills in other roles.

When volunteering for an organisation, it’s crucial to identify what you want to achieve. Set specific, measurable, and attainable goals for yourself. This could be connecting with a certain number of people, building your personal brand, or gaining skills in areas like content creation, social media management, or social media ads.

Don’t spend years volunteering without direction or purpose. Set clear goals and make the most of your experience. This will help you stay focused and motivated and ensure that you’re getting the most out of your time.

Volunteering should not mean that you neglect taking out time to enrol in courses to learn something new. It simply means you also learn by doing, and it’s easier to implement what you have learnt from a course in your cause of volunteering for an organisation. Every day the industry is changing, and you cannot be caught slacking, because many other people are competing with you to get that dream Comms job you have been working towards. 

Even individuals planning on transitioning from their previous career path to communications may need to volunteer at some point to gain experience and skills. If you are working in a different department and you want to transition, you might as well volunteer in that department when they need an extra hand or when they have an event. This shows you are interested in learning.

I have had the privilege of giving back to non-profit organisations, my school, and the global community, and it has been incredibly fulfilling. If you’re looking to gain experience, I highly recommend volunteering. You won’t regret it!