When you are searching for a work at home position, sometimes you have to give a lot to get a lot. Have you considered doing some work without pay in the hopes of gaining employment? Volunteering can open the door to a job that you enjoy. You can also work for a company that you admire.

People take part in volunteering for various reasons. Often people who have a passion for a certain cause will eagerly work for free. People who have time on their hands, like retirees may want to keep active. Sometimes when people are in between jobs, they take on some volunteer work to maintain their job skills and to get a job referral at a later date. High school or college students who have either never worked or haven’t worked in a particular field, volunteer their time to learn if this type of work is what they want as a career and again to get referrals for future paid positions.

There are many volunteer positions that you can do online. Volunteer Match has a part of their site dedicated to Virtual Volunteers . They run the range from managing a website for a non-profit group that is working to end poverty to making phone calls to set up fundraising for an organization that provides services for critically ill children to being part of the Advisory Panel for a group that educates people about spaying and neutering their pets.

If you choose the path of volunteer work with the hopes of gaining employment should you be up front with the company or organization you work with? My advice would to not disclose this information. I say this because you are actually trying the job out for yourself. You may find either the work or the company not to your liking. Another reason is that when you volunteer you are able to network with other people and organizations. Keep those possibilities open! You may end up finding a work at home salaried position that pays better and that interests you more.

How do you transition from a volunteer to a staff member? Do your best and then do more! Show your enthusiasm. Think of each task as a job interview. When you are able to network ask questions and be sure that people know your name and how to contact you. On the other hand, if the work doesn’t interest you and you learn that there isn’t a way to move up, then look for something else. Do treat your volunteer work as a job and give at least two weeks notice though. Kindly ask for a letter of recommendation and move on.

You’ll never know what is possible unless you take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you.

Tags: networking, non-profit, salaried job, virtual work, volunteer

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