Show us your soft side

By Jennifer Angus: February 2nd, 2012

You may think volunteering is all about hard skills. Teaching pupils, drafting budgets, fixing computer networks. Being a bit ingenious about your domestic duties perhaps. Solid, tangible things that you can touch, see and count.

And of course, it is about all these things. But it’s also more than that. It’s about your soft side too – the little things and ways of being often make the biggest difference. The way you handle a tense situation, the words you use to grab someone’s attention, the lessons you learn from the mistakes you make, the way you pull yourself out of bed when you’d rather not. We can all relate to these things. They are basic choices which we make every day – to walk with sand in our shoes, or with a spring in our step. That choice can be the difference between success and failure.

Our experience in recruiting and managing volunteers has shown us that the ones that are most effective are patient, flexible and creative. This is why we look for these behaviours and attitudes, as well as a whole host of others, amongst our volunteers – because we know these qualities are the crucial planks that bridge the gap between simply being there and truly making a difference. You can find out more about that here

As Tom mentioned in his last blog, VSO is not for everyone. You can watch some volunteers for whom it was here. The courage, tenacity and hope on display is inspiring. For those thinking about volunteering, remember this:  you’ll go the extra mile if you remember to show your soft side.

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