I had always wanted to get into the charity sector and saw a university placement with Oxfam as a great way to learn more about how an international NGO functions while developing my skills.
As Oxfam’s volunteer placement co-ordinator, I help colleagues find volunteers and assist in the placement of volunteers. Thus I get to meet people from all over Oxfam, see all the great work they do and try to help them even more by providing them with volunteers. I also manage the graduate internship scheme, which has given me a lot of responsibility and meant that I have had the opportunity to go to universities to talk about Oxfam. I have even been interviewed by The Independent!
I am also Oxfam’s representative for the Russell Commission, which is the government think tank to encourage youth volunteering. I have attended talks to find out more about what Oxfam does, have volunteered in my local Oxfam shop and even went on a Make Trade Fair media stunt in London. This was an amazing experience and has motivated me to get involved with as much as I can here.
At Oxfam, there is so much you can do and learn. My skills have improved more than I could have ever envisaged and everyone is so supportive. It’s also been fun, and good to know that I’ve been helping Oxfam achieve their aims.
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