So you’re after some experience, and you’ve seen all of the pictures online of volunteers in scrubs, visiting courts, or exploring some amazing places. But that all seems so far away! How do you get from sitting in front of your computer scrolling through all the information on Vocational Impact’s website to a psychiatric hospital or law clinic?
What about visas? What about university commitments? Which programme are you going to do?
We’ve got this step by step guide for you to make our process clear and alleviate your worries on how it all works, so you too can become a Vocational Impact volunteer!
Read on to learn about how we work with you, your university, funding bodies, lecturers, our project partners in-country and how we customise an experience to your needs and interests. But it doesn’t just stop once you’ve joined our placement – we have written professional references for dozens of volunteers helping them to get on to post-graduate courses and snag that new graduate job!
Step 1: Choose a Programme or a Destination
At Vocational Impact, we provide skills-based volunteering to connect people with life-changing global projects and combine international travel with practical work experience that makes a difference. So, what are you interested in? Where do you want to go? Have a search through our website and find the ‘Programmes’ and ‘Destinations’ tabs. You can read all about what we offer on their respective pages. You can also find information on our website about our health and safety, fundraising, reviews, blog posts, volunteer stories, FAQs… have a breeze around and see what you think!
“My professor told me about the programme”
“I found Vocational Impact through searching the internet”
“I found the opportunities on my university careers site”
“My friend told me about them!”
Step 2: Enquire
If you hit the ‘Enquire Now’ button, it shows us that you are interested in joining us. You’ll begin to receive emails with more information on what we do, our latest posts, webinars, and more! You’ll also receive the link to our application form!
Step 3: Apply!
Fill out the application form to move through to the next step of the process!
The application form is non-committal and gives us a much better idea of what you are particularly interested in and how long you want to volunteer for. We ask a variety of questions to make sure that we can tailor our services and our programmes to you.
Our placements cover all manner of subject matter, so by gaining an understanding of what you are interested in we will know which programmes to suggest to you. By letting us know when you want to volunteer and how long for, we can also be sure to customise the length of your programme and date to suit your availability. We will also ask if you are attending university and which one. We work closely with various universities and are well versed on a variety of funding bodies, so we can advise on what funding may be available to you depending on your course or personal situation.
Due to the sensitive nature of our charity projects, we carefully check through the applications we receive to make sure we have a match.
Step 4: Book A Call!
Next up – book a call!
Once we have reviewed your application we send you a link to book a call with our team. While on the call we get to know you a little bit better and the team will then talk you through your options according to your interests, goals and timings. So – which subject do you study? What are your favourite modules? What line of work are you looking to get into? It is a two way street and we want to make sure we find the best fit for you, so we can go over more than one programme if you like! For example, you want to go into law, but prefer human rights to criminal law? No problem, grab yourself a ticket to South Africa! You want to do a psychology programme but really want some experience working with addiction? India’s your best bet! We give you more detail about the general itinerary of the programmes and answer any questions.
We also cover the prices and logistics of our programmes, to make sure you are aware of any costs involved.
We can also advise about funding – and as before, we can discuss which options you may have depending on your university or personal situation.
Although we cover a lot of information on these calls, we leave time at the end to check in with how it all sounds to you, and you are welcome to ask as many questions as you like! If we are both happy with how everything has gone on the call, we then send you a placement offer!
Step 5: Register!
We encourage you to have a bit of a research after your call, see what funding may be available and get any budgeting together. But once you have done that, you can register with us! Yay! This is where we ask for the registration fee to be paid, and we start to plan your trip. We hold your place for you, begin to get your itinerary together, get you in touch with the team and any other volunteers, start sending information over to you and start assisting you with all the admin involved with volunteering abroad!
Welcome on board – you are now a Vocational Impact Volunteer!
“Right before I left I felt I had enough information, as I was sent lots of documents and handbooks which were really useful.”
“I feel I was provided with all the necessary information beforehand and thoroughly supported.”
Step 6: The Pre-Departure Admin!
Our volunteer coordinator will be in touch swiftly in order to begin this process.
We send you information about the programme you will be doing, your itinerary, cultural differences, what to expect, and more. We send you a pre-departure form to get an idea of any allergies or health issues we should know about in order to best prepare the in-country team. The VI team can also help with the more intimidating bits – such as getting travel insurance and obtaining a visa. Our team is experienced in this and will help to make the process clearer and swifter for you to make sure you have the right ones and ensure your smooth arrival and departure from the country you are visiting! We can also help with anything university related too – if you have applied for a bursary or grant and your university needs information and diligence documents from us, just let us know.
On the more relaxed side of things, we also pop you in a group chat with the team you will be working with and the other volunteers you will be travelling with! This is to make sure you are all familiar with one another and can ask any questions you may have before you go. We also send you a t-shirt to wear when you arrive in the country so our team can spot you!
“VI provided very clear steps and directions, especially with the visa application, which was quite complex. There was also a guide that helped with the process. I received information about the accommodation, and Moses arranged a couple of phone calls giving me some clarity on what to expect.”
Step 7: Pay the Final Fee
Before you go, we must of course ask that you pay your fee! Don’t worry, we don’t ask for it all in one whack the second you’ve registered. You have until 60 days before you travel and you can pay it in instalments if that works best for you. This gives you more time to budget and fundraise!
Step 8: Pre-Departure Call
The date draws ever nearer!
Once everything is in place for your trip, our volunteer coordinator will organise a phone call with you. This call is not only to be sure we have all the correct information and that everything is booked, but also to check in with you. We know it can be a really daunting thing to volunteer abroad, so we want to ensure you are as excited for yourself as we are for you! If you have any questions or concerns, this is a chance to ask.
“The support we received from Vocational Impact was invaluable; their thorough preparation and detailed context gave us a clear understanding of the people we would be working with and the important work we would be doing. This background knowledge not only eased my nerves but left Sophie and I feeling prepared and excited for the experience ahead.”
“I think Moses did a great job in prepping me for what was to come, the timetable was amazing I got to see what I would be doing day to day and how I should structure my week accordingly.”
Step 9: Time to Fly!
Pack your bags, don your t-shirt and head to the airport! It’s time to change the world!
We’ll be in touch the day of your flight to be sure you’ve departed and arrived safely. Once you arrive in the country, one of the volunteer support team will meet you at the airport and get you safely to your accommodation.
“Everything went well! I felt well-informed and safe before joining and whilst I was there I always felt like the people around me were safe hands to be in.”
Step 10: Your Trip of a Lifetime!
Now that you’ve arrived, met the team and the other volunteers – it’s time to settle in. The team both in country and in the UK are always only a phone call away for anything you could possibly need but for now: get a good rest, and get ready for your next few weeks as a Vocational Impact volunteer!
“In terms of preparation, I must express my appreciation for the exceptional support provided by Vocational Impact. I felt calm and well-prepared for the journey, thanks to the comprehensive information and guidance I received. Every step of the way, my questions were answered, and I felt supported throughout the process.”
“Overall, I believe the organization did an outstanding job in preparing volunteers for their placements. It’s challenging to think of any areas that require improvement, as the support and information provided were exceptional, contributing to a smooth and enriching volunteering experience.”
Step 11: Keep in Touch!
After you’ve completed your programme and headed back home, we are keen to hear from you all about how your programme went. We send you a feedback form and invite you for an interview to get more details on what you got up to, as well as invite you to become an ambassador!
But again – this is a two way street! We are ever grateful for your amazing work with our partner projects, so if ever you need a reference or proof of completion, you need only ask.
We’ve provided references for volunteers who have gone on to become teachers; social workers; counselling support workers; mental health nurses; and and be recruited by law firms!
Once you’ve completed your programme you really do remain a Vocational Impact volunteer. We hold our volunteers in very high regard and are absolutely rooting for you!
So now that you know how to become a Vocational Impact volunteer – head back up to Step 1 and get started! We can’t wait to hear from you soon!
