Volunteering with WWOOF, Workaway, or HelpX

Chapter 7 of 7

Assessing and leveraging your volunteer experience

Giving feedback

When the experience is almost over and it’s time to pack up and head somewhere else, take the time to provide feedback to your host and online. 

When writing a review, try to detail the tasks, the number of hours worked, the environment, etc. Be factual and describe the experience. You can also provide more personal feedback about the connection with your host and general atmosphere. 

Don’t hesitate to point out any negative aspects of the experience. Yes, it’s hard and it can feel like “betraying” your host, but other volunteers are counting on you!

And if you faced bigger issues or a scam, contact the platform. Many profiles are deleted every month, don’t let other volunteers go through what you went through!

Accepting a paid position after volunteering

Some hosts are so happy with your contribution that they offer a paid position. If you have a valid Working Holiday permit, you can consider it, as you’re allowed to work—congrats!

On a side note, some hosts also specify in their offer that overtime (i.e. hours worked on top of the 25 hours or whatever is agreed upon) is paid. 

However, if you have a tourist status, you are usually not allowed to transition to paid employment. Working under the table can be risky for many reasons. It can get you fined, deported, or banned from future entry… and it can lead to potential labour issues because you won’t have the law on your side if you don’t get paid or if an accident happens. Keep this in mind!

Using a volunteering experience for paid opportunities

Regardless of the work you did, volunteering is always precious experience. It’s a way to get a reference, develop new skills, show commitment, reliability and more, so it does deserve a spot on your resume.

You can always highlight the many soft skills developed—communication, flexibility, teamwork and more.  

If the experience fits with your professional background, highlight your new skills and achievements. If not, be prepared to explain why you explored new industries and environments. There’s always a way to put a positive spin on it during an interview!