Volunteering as alternative to job in Ireland?

Glacier

I hope this won't be moved to volunteering board, this is relevant to work and jobs. I have posted on the travel board but haven't really gotten much of a response. I dropped out of College & am unsure of what to do now. I inherited money & am financially secure, there are no really no opportunities for me here. Instead of going back to College which I don't really want to do at this stage, Has anyone ever volunteered & not just for a couple of weeks? Has anyone made sort of a career out of it? When I leave the country in a couple of months I want to be able to tell people I'm actually doing something, not just a drop-out messer thing. Can anyone help?

AARRRGH

Well, for starters volunteers don't get paid, so it's not really an alternative to a job. It's also kind of hard to build a career doing something for free...

But I think I know what you mean. You want to be doing *something* until you leave the country.

Sure, why not? It'll be experience, and you'll be doing a good deed.

Glacier

No, I mean when I leave the country I want to be able to tell people I'm really doing something, not just holidaying for a long while. I'd like to be able to join some organisation, like you know the way the US has the PeaceCorps, do we have anything like that?

AARRRGH

Ah you mean volunteer abroad? I don't have any links off hand, but I do know there is plenty of volunteer work in Africa, etc.

Glacier wrote:

I want to be able to tell people I'm actually doing something

Glacier wrote:

I want to be able to tell people I'm really doing something

They're two quotes from this topic. To me, this is a big problem.

Why do you want to do something for other people?

What do you want to do?

Glacier

I dropped out of UCD & realise I don't have that many options here aside from going back which I don't really wanna do. I started thinking about volunteering or doing something worthwhile like that instead. I think it really is my best option & what I feel would have more meaning or purpose than some go nowhere job here/

AARRRGH

Is it what you want to do? Or is it that you can't think of anything else?

Glacier

It is what I want to do and do think it's my only option. For personal reasons I need to leave, I didn't finish so I'm not really in a position to be able to move and work in another english-speaking western country. I think it's my best bet.

AARRRGH

Could you not just travel the world for a year?

What's wrong with backpacking across Asia, etc.?

Glacier

I sent you a PVT dude

cronos

I nearly joined the UN for the summer but I couldnt afford it.
It was a different one to the link that im going to give you that I would have gone for but its an idea.

http://www.unv.org/what-we-do/countries/india.html

Greenpeace is another organisation you could join.

Glacier

Do you need to be qualified?

Glacier

I want ti be able to feel like this is a career not just backpacking

AARRRGH

If you can afford to work for free, and you want to do something with your life, there are a lot worse things than doing voluntary work.

Where do you want to work? What kind of thing do you want to do?

cronos

Glacier wrote: »

Do you need to be qualified?

If I can find the actual thing I was going to apply for then I will PM you with it. I dont think you needed to be qualified as I am a student myself. You did need to pay for your flights and living expenses I think. It sounded quite interesting. However it was more of an internship than a career.

Glacier

But could it lead to something?

AARRRGH

Glacier wrote: »

But could it lead to something?

Do you mean could it lead to a paid career or an unpaid career?

Working in a voluntary organisation is not the kind of "job" you do if you are trying to build a career.