Reply to: volunteering (in IT)

[Sysman]

Well, I was doing it for their benefit rather than my own. ( It goes down well with the client, when they know I'm spending some of my cash on "good causes" - i.e. renew my contract or the poor little orphans STARVE ).

I worked with a guy who did similar in somewhere like Romania. Clientco did a feature in the in-house magazine and put up a public facing web page about his experiences.

Not just Brownie points, but damn good CV material.

[portseven]

What about contributing to an Open Source project?

Always looks good on the CV if prospective clients use the Open Source project in question

[NotAllThere]

doesn't quite enhance the CV though, does it?

tim

Well, I was doing it for their benefit rather than my own. ( It goes down well with the client, when they know I'm spending some of my cash on "good causes" - i.e. renew my contract or the poor little orphans STARVE ).

[northernladuk]

Quote:
Originally Posted by NotAllThere
I've done a few stints with a team working in Russian orphanages. Specific skills aren't a requirement - it's your presence that speaks volumes.

Last time, I mainly played Durak (Russian card game) with the kids. Chatted with them through our interpreter. Also went sledging with the younger ones - I was the sledge.

doesn't quite enhance the CV though, does it?

tim

I don't know about that. With the amount of artistic licence being applied to some CV's I have seen recently this kind of experience could easily put you in line for some Senior Program Managers job or something

[expat]

...
Edit edit: as for VSO, when I enquired a few years ago they would not consider IT people unless they had at least an MSc; many posts required an IT PhD, FFS.

So charities would refuse my work for free? No wonder I'm having trouble persuading businesses to pay me for it

[tim123]

Looking at some of the rates being offered on Jobserve these days I'd say stick to contracting, it's starting to amount to the same thing!

Nomadd

But without the required three years experience of whatever, you aren't going to get the inverview.

With the charity, you could probably blag it.........

..... but should you (or rather how far should you go?)

(I'm the sort of person who always downgrades my abilities, and when I do try and sell myself as an expert am unconvincing - even when I am expert at something.)

tim

[tim123]

I've done a few stints with a team working in Russian orphanages. Specific skills aren't a requirement - it's your presence that speaks volumes.

Last time, I mainly played Durak (Russian card game) with the kids. Chatted with them through our interpreter. Also went sledging with the younger ones - I was the sledge.

doesn't quite enhance the CV though, does it?

tim

[NotAllThere]

I've done a few stints with a team working in Russian orphanages. Specific skills aren't a requirement - it's your presence that speaks volumes.

Last time, I mainly played Durak (Russian card game) with the kids. Chatted with them through our interpreter. Also went sledging with the younger ones - I was the sledge.

[mace]

Sent off my CV for a couple of opportunities just down the road from me last night. Nothing back so far.

[nomadd]

So I've been looking at volunteering for something.

Looking at some of the rates being offered on Jobserve these days I'd say stick to contracting, it's starting to amount to the same thing!

Nomadd

[RichardCranium]

How should I play this?

Like this:

How iT4Communities works for volunteers

Volunteering through iT4Communities is a simple process:

1. Register as a volunteer.
2. Sign in to the site and search for opportunities to volunteer.
3. Alternatively subscribe to our RSS feed.
4. Request contact details for any opportunities that interest you.
5. You'll be e-mailed the phone number and e-mail address of the charity.
6. Make contact with the charity and discuss whether you can help them. Agree to start only if everyone is happy.
7. Work with the charity to complete their IT project.
8. Celebrate a great piece of work!

If you can't help, nobody will tell you off!

With one of them, I couldn't help, but I was able to re-write their request for assistance in the correct jargon to ensure someone else could.

Sometimes people volunteer to assist with a problem but instead write the spec. for the solution, then walk away. That is very helpful and valuable consultancy.

Just being able to tell some of these organisations what can or cannot be done is of great help to them.

I suspect some of these 'problems' simply go away once the recipient has been able to get it off their chest to someone who will listen, understand, then explain why the problem exists.

[tim123]

I've done a few small IT 4 Communities tasks; it's all above board and kosher. With them you get to choose what you do; there is big / small / support / development / techie / soft skills stuff.
.

Thanks to dozer for the link, but I'm wondering how fussy are the "clients".

The only section which brings up any quantity of opportunities is the "website" one.

I've never done any website programming - well I written a home page in html :-), but have plenty of PC based GUI experience. Whilst I wouldn't suggest that I could write a website from scratch, I feel confident that I could do the tasks requiring "small modifications" of which there are many. I'm quite happy to learn whatever language is necessary to do the task - it is why I'm interested in doing this in the first place

How should I play this?

[dozer]

has anyone ever had a response from ITCH? ive registered but never got as much as an email?

[RichardCranium]

What and undercut those ICT chappies? You heartless bastards.

They mostly tend to be tasks for individuals or tiny local charities or action groups that would never be paid for but need to be done.

Mind you, the other 2% are: "For Oxfam / Cancer Research UK / Some Other Huge Pretend 'Charity', identify and procure suitable CRM software then set up a nationwide call centre including disaster recovery etc. Train 150 call centre staff and then provide ongoing support for two years. As a charity, we cannot afford to pay the volunteer any expenses."

[Shimano105]

What and undercut those ICT chappies? You heartless bastards.