Volunteering

in Australia:

Find the right role

for you

Sofie Anselmi

Volunteering Victoria

[Date]

Introducing Study Melbourne Live Volunteers

A new initiative from Study Melbourne under the

LIVE initiative.

Connecting international students with opportunities

to volunteer in the community.

Introducing Volunteering Victoria

We support volunteering in Victoria.

Our vision is resilient communities and empowered

and active citizens through volunteering.

Purpose of this session

This session will help you to find a volunteer role that is

right for you.

We want you to have a positive volunteering experience.

You are welcome to ask questions throughout the session

or you can wait until to the end to speak with me privately.

What we will cover today

• Volunteering – what it is, and how it differs from other

types of unpaid activity

• Volunteering in Australia

• How to find volunteer roles

• Creating your own volunteer role

• Ready to volunteer?

• Next steps

Volunteering in

Australia

Defining volunteering

What does ‘volunteering’

look like in your

home country?

Defining volunteering in Australia

‘Volunteering is time willingly given

for the common good

and without financial gain.’

Volunteering Australia, 2015

Defining volunteering in Australia

• An inclusive definition – many types of volunteering

• Volunteer reimbursements

• Student placements and internships – similar, but not

the same as volunteering

• Volunteering and your visa

Why do people volunteer?

In Australia, people volunteer for many reasons, including:

• Personal values and beliefs

• To make friends and social connections

• To develop a professional network

• Learn or develop skills for the workplace

• Fun!

• Most commonly – mix of motivations

Where and how could you volunteer?

• Many organisations rely on volunteers, such as:

– Hospitals, libraries and schools

– Community support services

– Environment and conversation groups

– Arts and cultural groups

– Community festivals and events

• Only organisations which do not trade for a profit are

allowed to engage volunteers.

• Roles: individual or group-based, ongoing or project-

based, in person or virtual – and some may require skills

Finding volunteer

opportunities

How to find volunteer roles

• Friends and other students

• University contacts, including careers services, lecturers

and teachers, on-campus groups and associations

• Volunteer support services in your local area

• Online recruitment websites

• Direct to organisations which engage volunteers

• Approach an organisations directly

• Create your own volunteering opportunity

Finding a role via a local volunteer service

Finding a role online

Some organisations use websites to recruit volunteers:

• All types of opportunities on www.seekvolunteer.com.au

and www.govolunteer.org.au

• Goodcompany, Communiteer and Vollie have a mix of

skilled ongoing roles and projects

There are lots of other websites – if you find one you really

like, let us know so we can share with other students

Finding a role online

Find a role through an organisation

Some organisations publish information about volunteer opportunities on their own websites:

• Conversation Volunteers Australia – on the front page

• North Melbourne Language and Learning – under ‘Get Involved’

• Next Wave Festival – under ‘Latest News’

Or, you could approach the organisation to express interest in volunteering – you don’t need to wait for roles to be advertised.

Applying for a volunteer role

• Common elements, including written applications and

interviews

• Workplace checks:

– Working with Children Check – free, easy to apply

– National Police Check – more complicated

• Find out as much as you can – and ask questions

• Securing a volunteer role may take longer than you

expect – and be more complicated, too

Create your own volunteer opportunity

• Lots of volunteering takes place outside organisations.

• Think about an issue that interests you – such as helping

other international students get to know Melbourne

• You could seek support from your educational institution

– or a grant program like the International Student

Welfare Program, which will be open later in the year.

• Use social media to spread your message – and attract

people to help you.

Ready to volunteer?

Selecting a role to suit you

• What are your interests?

• What are your motivations?

• How much time do you have?

• Are there times of the year when you may not be available?

• Do you want an ongoing commitment – or would a short-term project be more suitable for you?

• What location would suit you?

Next steps

• Use the Volunteering Action Plan:

– Consider how volunteering could help you – e.g. to make friends

or to achieve your career goals, or both

– Think about what type of volunteering you would

like to do

• Explore some websites where volunteer roles are

advertised.

• Apply for one or more volunteer roles that interest you –

or create your own!

Volunteer opportunities available today

• Some options to start with:

– Current opportunities to volunteer through Study Melbourne Live

Volunteer are listed here:

http://volunteeringvictoria.org.au/opportunities-international-

students

• Look in your email for links to each opportunity

• Make sure you mention Melbourne Study Live Volunteers

in your application

Any questions?

All questions are good questions

– feel free to ask me anything

about volunteering.

If you’d prefer to ask a

question privately, you

can ask me after the

session has concluded.

Evaluation

Thank you for coming to this workshop session.

It is a new session, designed for international students.

Your feedback will assist us to improve the session for

other students.

Your responses are completely confidential.