Community services include everything from supervised recreation to free or low-cost public performances of theater and music. The goal is to enhance the quality of life for the entire community.
The best way to develop or improve these services is through the participation of community members. People participate in community service activities because they want to help others, but it also helps them grow as individuals.
Socialization
Socialization is a process that introduces people to the norms and customs of their society. It’s an essential part of human development and helps to make societies run smoothly. It happens in several contexts including family, peers, schools, the mass media and neighborhood interactions.
Family socialization is the most influential, especially during childhood and adolescence. Parents teach their children to interact with others, and they set expectations for them. For example, a parent may instruct their child to obey police orders and not resist arrest.
A person can also be socialized through an organization or institution such as a company or nonprofit. This type of socialization teaches people how to interact with others in their specific settings, such as how to collaborate with colleagues or how to speak about the organization’s mission in public. It can also help to establish their professional reputation.
Volunteering
In addition to the benefits it brings to those receiving the help, volunteering also offers advantages for the volunteer. For instance, it boosts self-esteem and provides a sense of accomplishment, especially when the task at hand is challenging. It can also improve communication skills, and can lead to the formation of networking acquaintances that can assist with your career development.
Many companies, charities and not-for-profit organisations are constantly seeking volunteers to help their full time staff achieve their aims. These unpaid positions range from raising funds and delivering food parcels to helping with administrative tasks, such as assisting the disabled or homeless.
Other volunteering activities include helping to clean communities, placing campfire safety plaques and sprucing up parks or playgrounds. Some volunteers also teach classes, such as first aid and CPR, to help their local residents. Others assist survivors of natural disasters, such as floods, fires or hurricanes. They may even help to re-establish communities after they have been hit by catastrophic events.
Interpersonal Skills
The ability to communicate with others and empathize with those you’re helping are critical for community service workers. They also need to be highly organized to manage time and resources, keep records, schedule meetings and events and work with other staff members and volunteers.
These skills are often referred to as soft skills, and they’re becoming increasingly important in the workplace. A McKinsey Global study estimates that by 2030, half of all jobs will require high levels of soft skill-related abilities.
Although some people are naturally gifted at utilizing interpersonal skills, most can learn to develop and improve them. For example, learning to express appreciation and resolving disputes are both interpersonal skills that anyone can develop. Some of these skills may take more time to master than others. However, it’s worth putting the effort into developing them as they can help you achieve a more successful career. Moreover, practicing these skills while volunteering helps you gain hands-on experience for the career change you’re considering.
Career Development
For many employees, career development is essential for professional growth. Employees may want to explore different roles, or they could be motivated to move up the ladder or learn new skills in order to get a better salary.
A community-driven approach to career development allows managers to tailor a program that fits the needs of each individual employee. This is especially helpful for people managers who have a difficult task of supporting the career development of their direct reports while also unlocking their own potential.
When organizations provide career development opportunities for their employees, they can expect increased satisfaction, higher morale and motivation and lower turnover of staff, saving time and money on recruiting and training new hires. This strategy is also beneficial for the organization by increasing employee retention and decreasing the risk of attrition due to job burnout. In addition, a well-implemented career development program can lead to faster promotion of internal candidates to senior leadership positions.