Joblessness can be stressful in many ways for any individual. There has always been a debate around long-term job seekers needing to do voluntary work in receipt of government benefits. In this essay, we will discuss the upside and downside of such contributions to the community.
On a positive note, we see that volunteering to help in community tasks can contribute to the personal growth of an individual alongside gaining some experiences and learning new skills. For instance, a person who is volunteering for a community event can gain insights into finance management, event management, get in touch with more people, and improve his communication skills, leading to better networking. All of these can add to his resume, resulting in an increase in employability. In addition, it also creates a sense of responsibility and self-discipline with real-time experiences.
On the flip side, this could be misinterpreted by the job-seeker as a punishment for not finding a job, and can lead to a guilt of living on government benefits without a job, which is not the case whatsoever. This leads to unnecessary mental and emotional stress in the individual, ultimately leading to various health issues. Another problem could be the thought of wasting time by volunteering under pressure while the seeker could be preparing and searching for a relevant job.
However, in my opinion, the benefits of volunteering to give back to the community definitely outweigh the disadvantages.
It can make the individual a stronger candidate in many ways, both professionally and personally. Thus, having long-term job seekers contribute back to society via voluntary work is a good means to express gratitude to the government and the benefits offered.