Personality, Skills And Interests

• In which ways do you feel you can best contribute? What are your particular skills and interests? What do you really enjoy doing? Do you prefer to work with people or to do something practical?
• If you prefer working with people, is this on a one-to-one basis or in groups?
• Are you fully aware of what you might be "letting yourself in for"? For example, if you want to work with small children, have you ever spent a whole day with noisy, boisterous children? How did you feel at the end of the day?
• Would you prefer to do something you have already done, using skills you have already acquired or would you prefer the challenge of doing something new?
• Do you enjoy handling crises or do you end up in a panic yourself?
• What skills and interests do you already possess? Many everyday skills are useful when volunteering. Make sure you don't overlook these skills eg writing letters, decorating, talking listening, DIY, driving, reading, shopping, sport, leisure and outdoor activities, entertainment, gardening etc.
• If you want to work with people, have you identified a particular group of people with whom you would like to work? Many skills can be used with many different groups, but there may be some people you would like to work with more than others (eg children under 5, young people, the elderly, families, people in hospital, homeless people, people with a physical disability or learning difficulty).