Ask the Board: Volunteerism
Bonnie Schirato
Chief People Officer,
Aptus Health &
Lake County Workforce Development programs operate under the oversight and
Executive Director,
strategic guidance of the Lake County Workforce Development Board.
Recently, we asked Board Chair Bonnie Schirato about volunteering and the role it Health eVillages
can play both as a job seeker and as an employee
1. Why do employers care about volunteer experience when they are
evaluating potential job candidates?
As a hiring manager, I know that you might not have been continuously
employed for your entire adult life, but volunteering shows me that you are
doing something. Volunteer experience demonstrates a curiosity and
industriousness that is attractive to employers.
Here are additional reasons to volunteer:
Build new skills and raise your confidence in a volunteer position
‘Test the waters’ during a career transition to see if another industry is
right for you
Build your network (which is critical for any jobseeker)
2. How should a job seeker find a volunteer opportunity?
Volunteer opportunities come in all kinds of forms and there’s no one way to
find them. Determine what kind of a commitment you can make. Then, start
thinking about issues or organizations for which you have a passion or
curiosity. Most organizations have websites where they might list volunteer
opportunities.
The Find Help Lake County website
findhelplakecounty.org
has a volunteer tab that can connect you to organizations that are looking for
volunteers.
3. What about volunteering after you’ve found a job?
Ideally, now that you’ve established a role for yourself as a volunteer, you’ll be
able to carry that experience forward as you begin your new job. At my
company we talk about our “why”—our purpose for doing what we do. Now
that you’ve found your “why”, hopefully you can find a job that integrates your
passion into your work life. That may just mean finding a job with a schedule
that allows you to continue your volunteer efforts, but it might also mean
finding a company that supports your efforts itself. Some companies match
contributions to charitable organizations, offer their employees a limited
amount of paid time off to volunteer, or even have foundations or other
charitable initiatives within the company itself. Because our work and personal
lives are hardly separated anymore, find a job that allows you to integrate
your newfound passion into your work life in some way. You’ll likely be
happier and more productive, too.
Page 6
Bonnie Schirato has
been with Aptus Health
(formerly Physicians
Interactive) since its
inception; she is driven
to build an engaged
and highly productive
team committed to
meeting the vision of
empowering healthcare
providers with
information when and
where they need it.
Physicians Interactive
was selected as one of
the “Best Places to
Work in Illinois” for
2015.
Health eVillages
provides mobile health
technology to medical
professionals
worldwide.
Ms. Schirato holds a
Bachelors of Arts in
English and GPHR
certification.
aptushealth.com
Healthevillages.com