Achievement Unlocked: Volunteer at Something

Volunteering is one of those things you are supposed to do to meet people.

Finding a good volunteering gig is surprisingly difficult.  For whatever reason, searching for a volunteering opportunity leads mostly to broken websites for organizations that no longer exist, and stupid bullshit that people put on craigslist.

I did find one opportunity in all my searching:  tutoring at some kind of homeless outreach center.  Since I have some experience tutoring, I signed up.  I told them I could tutor math, or maybe basic computer skills.  When I got there, though, I happened to walk in with someone who was involved with a completely different, sort of career development program, where you sit there and help people with their resumes, and the guy in charge assumed I was part of that program.

I...did my best.  It was almost horrifying, because here are these people to whom a resume--and all the wording and formatting--is actually important, and here is me, someone who used 20 minute resumes for his job interviews, who ignores recruiters that ask for them, and who still gets tons of hits on Linked In even though his profile is just a list of companies and funny quotes.  I did the best I could with what experience I had, even so far as just googling some resume tips in front of them.  Tonight I learned, probably for the second time, that the "executive summary" has replaced the "objective" section.  So that's an interesting development for the whole resume writing scene.

On my way out, I tried to explain to the guy who worked there why I am probably not qualified to give resume advice to anyone, anywhere, without sounding like a conceited jerk.  Then the guy realized that I was supposed to be one of the tutors, and not one of the resume people.

So then he sat me down and gave me the low down:  this place is a home for recovering drug addicts or really anyone who needs a place to stay and assistance getting back on their feet.  My mission, as it were, is to help guys study for the GED or some newfangled super hard test that lets you claim to have a full high school diploma.

So that was interesting.  I may have told one of the guys that I regret not partying more in college.

Anyway.

I'm not going to help a great many people with the tutoring thing, but I will help some, and that will make far more of a difference than taking up a spot in a food line at a soup kitchen.  Unfortunately, once I grow accustomed to the whole volunteering situation, I may have to switch to one of its useless yet social forms (i.e. soup kitchen).  I've lain in bed alone with no one but the smug satisfaction of "doing the right thing" for company, and I can promise you that girls are better.