site.btaVolunteers More Successful on Labour Market - Study

Volunteers More Successful on Labour Market - Study

Sofia, June 23 (BTA) - Volunteering plays a role for young people's success on the labour market, show the results of the first of its kind study conducted in Bulgaria on the correlation between volunteering and young people's professional success.

The study was conducted between May and December of 2015 by the National Alliance for Volunteer Action, in partnership with the Sofia University's Social Sciences Research Centre and Industry Watch Group - Bulgaria.

Young people's involvement in volunteer initiatives stimulates the development of creative thinking and the ability to quickly adjust in new situations, it forms tolerance for others' values, social sensitivity and an active civil stance - skills which can be capitalized on when both searching for a job and starting a business.

These skills make young volunteers much more successful on the labour market, compared to their peers, who lack volunteering experience.

The study results further show that employers are looking to hire people with social and cognitive skills, in addition to their professional qualifications.

The profile of the suitable job candidate includes well developed work habits and culture, self-control skills, conflict resolution skills, desire to learn, organizational behaviour, flexibility when faced with change in work processes.

One of the important conclusions from the study analysis is that there is a correlation between the skills young people acquire while volunteering and the skills employers look for.