Volunteering at Citizens Advice helps you develop your skills and help those in your community!
It’s Student Volunteering Week and we have asked our student volunteers what is like to volunteer with us!
Rhiannon, Generalist Advisor at Ceredigion Citizens Advice tells us about the experience…
I chose to volunteer with Citizens Advice because it allows me to help those in my community and develop transferable skills outside of my degree.
I started volunteering with Citizens Advice in 2021, during my undergraduate degree at Aberystwyth University. During my studies I was encouraged to pick up some volunteer work and volunteering with Citizens Advice has been a great and valuable experience.
I chose to volunteer with Citizens Advice because it allows me to help those in my community and develop transferable skills outside of my degree. Volunteering has given me the opportunity to develop my communication, customer service and teamwork skills, which I can apply to my future career.
What I enjoy most about volunteering is helping people and working with my colleagues.
My role as a student volunteer involves answering calls from clients who need help with their problem, which can range from simple queries to more challenging issues. I then research using Citizens Advice materials on how to assist the client, ensuring I am aware of all the options available to them. Before relaying the information back to the client, I check what I have found with my advice session supervisor who will let me know if I have missed anything important. Having the support of the advice session supervisor takes away the pressure of missing anything important to tell the client and ensures the client receives all the assistance we can give them. After each call I write up detailed client notes on the system that are informative yet concise and strictly confidential. Prior to accepting calls on adviceline I had to complete training and even though this was done remotely I felt fully supported and part of the Citizens Advice team.
I am thoroughly enjoying volunteering with Citizens Advice and would recommend it to any student.
It is very rewarding helping someone or at least giving them some direction with the problem they are facing. Another part of volunteering that is appealing to me as a student, is the flexibility of the role. I am able to pick which day of the week I volunteer that fits in with my university timetable and when I have exams or assignments I am able to take time off around them.
Citizens Advice can have an immensely positive impact on people’s lives and gives the community the support and help they need. As well as this, volunteering has given me the chance to learn essential skills, including a level of professionalism that is appealing to future employers.
Volunteering has been extremely beneficial for myself, it helped me get accepted onto my master’s degree at the University of Manchester. I was able to talk about my volunteering experiences and skills I had developed in my personal statement. I was also nominated for Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) A Young Volunteer of the Year Award.
One of the main benefits of volunteering with Citizens Advice is that you help those within your community and also become a part of the Citizens Advice community.
My advice to a student thinking about volunteering but is unsure is to give it a try! It is extremely flexible which is great when you are a student, and everyone I’ve met that works or volunteers with Citizens Advice is friendly and welcoming, they are always there to help you if you are struggling with anything. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to help their community and develop their skills.
Volunteering with Citizens Advice helps those in your community but it also gives you invaluable experience that can help you with your career.
