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• Search here for Career Books and more*
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Related Resources

• Career Education Center -- Simmons career counseling
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Transitions: Classroom to Career

Funded by a Centennial Grant from the Alumnae Association
of Simmons College

Building Your Resume: Temporary Work, Volunteer Opportunities, and Internships

Why should I temp? Isn't that for people who can't find a real job?
OK, so how can I locate temp agencies in the Boston area?
Where can I find out more about temping?
People have suggested that I do volunteer work to gain experience. Can you go over some of the ways in which volunteering will help me?
Can you point me to websites of organizations in the Boston area that are looking for volunteers?
Why does this site mention internships? Aren't those only for people still in school?

Why should I temp? Isn't that for people who can't find a real job?
Flexibility, skill-building, a chance to learn more about an industry or a company -- these are just a few of the benefits noted in this article on "The Top Ten Reasons to Consider Temping."
http://topten.org/content/tt.AB28.htm

This article describes how to choose a temporary agency that best suits your needs. It also goes into detail about how the intricacies of 'temp work' and how to maximize your experience.
http://www.salary.com/careers/layouthtmls/crel_display_nocat
_Ser105_Par202.html

"Temping to Jumpstart Your Career" discusses how to get the most out of your temp experience.
http://www.campuscareercenter.com/students/article.asp?news
_id=842

OK, so how can I locate temp agencies in the Boston area?
This page lists temporary employment agencies in the greater Boston area, alphabetized by name of company. Clicking on the name of an employment agency brings one directly to a page containing the agency's current contact information.
http://boston.citysearch.com/yellowpages/directory/Boston_MA
/260/133/page1.html

The Boston College Career Center offers additional advice on temping in the Boston area, including a select list of agencies to explore and some informative articles about temping.
http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/jobs/strategies/temping/

Where can I find out more about temping?
Wondering about the "pros and cons of temping," how to turn "a temp job into a permanent position," or "how to portray your temping experience" during your job search? Quintessential Careers includes articles addressing all these topics and more.
http://www.quintcareers.com/temping_resources.html

Monster offers articles covering all aspects of contract and temporary employment on this page. Learn resume and interview tips for temps, find out about temporary opportunities by industry, and get advice on what to expect on assignment.
http://ct.monster.com/archives/

People have suggested that I do volunteer work to gain experience. Can you go over some of the ways in which volunteering will help me?
Volunteering helps the organization, the people the organization serves, and the volunteer, both in practical and in intangible ways. The following articles describe how volunteering can help the volunteer find and further his or her career.

Mary Agnes Williams, "Helping volunteers to market their experience on their resumes"
Energize, Inc. Accessed 3/1/2006
http://www.energizeinc.com/art/resumes.html

"Making the most of your volunteer experience"
Jobweb.com, Accessed 3/1/2006
http://www.jobweb.com/resources/library/InternCoop_
Programs/Make_the_Most_of_202_02.htm

Susan J. Ellis, "Put volunteer work on your resume"
Charityguide.org, accessed 3/1/2006
http://www.charityguide.org/volunteer/motivation/resume.htm

Maureen Crawford Hentz, "Volunteering can reveal your work passion"
Quintcareers.com, accessed 3/1/2006
http://www.quintcareers.com/volunteering_work.html

"The volunteer intern technique"
Collegegrad.com, accessed 3/1/2006
http://www.collegegrad.com/jobsearch/2-3.shtml

Mary Ellen Shea Clifford, "It will look good on your resume"
1st resumes.com, accessed 3/1/06
http://www.1stresumes.com/articles/it-will-look-good-on-
your-resume.htm

Can you point me to websites of organizations in the Boston area that are looking for volunteers?
Yes. Many organizations can use your help and, in the process, you can gain experience and make contacts that may lead to future paying work, with the organization or elsewhere. Here is a list of organizations that you might want to consider:

Single Volunteers
http://www.svboston.org/

Red Cross
http://www.bostonredcross.org/volunteer/volunteer.cfm

American Diabetes Association
http://www.diabetes.org/support-the-cause/volunteer-with-us.jsp
?WTLPromo=HEADER_volunteer&vms=194445606452

Big Sister
http://www.bigsister.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage
&pageId=479

Boston by Foot
http://www.bostonbyfoot.com/12_bd/index.html

Boston Institute for Art Therapy
http://www.biat.org/html/How_To_Help/help.htm

Boston Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce)
http://www.bostonjaycees.org/v3/membership.cfm

Boston Living Center
http://www.bostonlivingcenter.org/volunteer.shtml

Boston Partners in Education
http://bostonpartners.org/volunteers/

Brattle Film Foundation
http://www.brattlefilm.org/brattlefilm/filmfoundation/register.html

City Year
http://www.cityyear.org/sites/ap.cfm?AP_ID=127

Community servings
http://www.servings.org/vgeneral.htm

Community Technology Center Support Project
http://www2.ctcnet.org/ctcsp//volunteer.htm

Extra hands for ALS in Boston
http://www.jackorchard.org/4_volunteer.asp

Freedom House
http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=80

The Greater Boston Food Bank
http://www.gbfb.org/content/main.cfm?sca_id=35

Habitat for Humanity
http://www.habitatboston.org/individual_volunteers.html

Homeless Empowerment Project
http://www.homelessempowerment.org/how_you_can_help.html

Horizons for Homeless Children
http://www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org/How_To_Help_
PAL_opportunities.asp

Hospitality Homes
http://www.hosp.org/othervolunteer.htm

Jimmy Fund
http://www.jimmyfund.org/vol/

Junior League of Boston
http://www.jlboston.org/jlb/npo.jsp?pg=projects

Mass NARAL
https://id299.securedata.net/prochoicemass/getinvolved/volunteer.shtml

Mass.gov Connect & Serve
http://www.volunteersolutions.org/mass-service/volunteer/

Massachusetts Substance Abuse Information and Education Helpline
http://www.helpline-online.com/VolunteerOpps.htm

Metro Lacrosse
http://www.metrolacrosse.com/involved/volunteer/

Museum of Science
http://www.mos.org/support_mos/volunteering

Girl Scouts, Patriots' Trail Council
http://www.ptgirlscouts.org/

Peace Games
http://www.peacegames.org/Join_volunteer.shtml

People Making a Difference
http://www.pmd.org/pmd_projects.phtml

Samaritans of Boston
http://www.samaritansofboston.org/volunteer.html

TecsChange
http://www.tecschange.org/volunteer/index.html

Children's Room
http://www.childrensroom.org/volunteers.htm

The Food Project
http://www.thefoodproject.org/donate/Internal1.asp?ID=124

Volunteers of America-Mass.
http://www.helpline-online.com/VolunteerOpps.htm

The Women's Union
http://www.weiu.org/index.php?page=111

Youth Tech Entrepreneurs
http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/comm_invest/jgp/yte.html

Volunteer Match
http://www.volunteermatch.org/bymsa/m1120/c/opp1.html

Charles River Conservancy
http://www.charlesriverconservancy.org/get_involved/volunteer/
volunteer.html#upcomingevents

Boston Marathon
http://www.bostonmarathon.org/Volunteering/BostonMarathon
Volunteer.asp

Boston Cares
http://www.bostoncares.org/projects/viewProject.php?_mode=
project_intro&_clearFlag=course,specialevent&PHPSESSID=
a8f7648ddb0dae7463304e368a0c2ded

Idealist.org
http://www.idealist.org/

The Esplanade Association
http://www.esplanadeassociation.org/getinvolved/volunteer_
ongoing.html

Boston Rescue Mission
http://www.brm.org/index.aspx?sec_id=15&page_id=21&
page_url=

Boston Lyric Opera
http://www.blo.org/ab_jobs_volunteer.html

Volunteer Boston
http://volunteerboston.org/HTM/VolOps.shtml

City of Boston
http://www.cityofboston.gov/vi_opportunities/

Volunteer Solutions
http://www.volunteersolutions.org/

Boston Aquarium
http://neaq2.securesites.net/community/vol/index.php

Boston Hostel
http://www.bostonhostel.org/involved.htm#vol

Massachusetts General Hospital
http://www.mgh.harvard.edu/volunteers/

Boston Medical Center
http://www.bmc.org/volunteerservices/howhelp.html

Bookbuilders of Boston
http://www.bbboston.org/pageVolunteer.cfm

YMCA
http://www.ymcaboston.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Page.
viewPage/pageId/76

WUMB Folk Radio
http://www.wumb.org/about/volunteer.php

Boston Pride
http://www.bostonpride.org/volunteer.php

Children's Hospital Boston
http://www.childrenshospital.org/about/Site1394/mainpage
S1394P5.html

MSPCA Boston
http://www.mspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=waystphelp_Volunteer

Friends of Boston Harbor Island
http://www.fbhi.org/islandbound05.htm#Positions

Boston Ballet
http://www.bostonballet.org/about/volunteer.html

Boston National Historical Park
http://www.nps.gov/applications/vips/volunteer.cfm?id=bost

Museum of Fine Arts
http://www.mfa.org/about/index.asp?key=1342

Bostonian Society
http://www.bostonhistory.org/volunter.php

International Institute of Boston
http://www.iiboston.org/difference/volunteer.htm

Volunteer Opportunities helping families and parents
http://boston.parenthood.com/Articles.html?article_id=5612
& segid=138

Boston Center for Adult Education
http://www.bcae.org/donorbody.html

Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston
http://www.bgcb.org/get_into_clubs/volunteering.cfm?
subsection=South_Boston

Boston Independent Film Festival
http://www.iffboston.org/involved/volunteers.php

Wellness Community Greater Boston
http://www.wellnesscommunity.org/howtohelp/volunteer.html

Boston French Center
http://www.frenchlib.org/about/volunteer.cfm

Society for Technical Communication
http://www.stcboston.org/chapter-info/jobs/volunteers.shtml

Boston Secession
http://www.bostonsecession.org/page.cfm?pageid=5808

City-Wide Friends of the Boston Public Library
http://www.bpl.org/general/friends/

American Marketing Association of Boston
http://amaboston.org/html/volunteers.htm

Elderhostel Boston
http://www.elderhostel.org/contact/volunteer.asp

Boston Classical Orchestra
http://www.bostonclassicalorchestra.org/support/
volunteer1.html

Why does this site mention internships? Aren't those only for people still in school?
Not necessarily. According to MonsterTrak Career Coach Peter Vogt, "It's never too late to have an internship in order to gain experience in your field of interest." On this page, he answers questions about the benefits of internships after graduation.
http://www.fastweb.com/fastweb/resources/articles/
index/103409?id=

For additional resources on internships, visit our Career Resource e-Library.
http://my.simmons.edu/library/collections/career/
internships.shtml

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Page updated: March 16, 2007