[Chronist]

(Original post by Divingbrit)
1- So in your logic, a paid professional is always better than a volunteer? While its possible, as they may have had more time in the job, but not always, take the woman making the teas for the cricket club teas for forty years as a volunteer, and then the spotty 18year old, straight out of school who is being paid to make tea in a cafe, one is a volunteer the other a professional,who makes the better tea? (it is only an example)




YES seriously !

2-You will not change your mind, whatever logic and replies that you get, You have decided what is right for you, but very many others think differently , 240,000 volunteered to be part of the Olympics, in your mind, they are poor misguided fools for working for nothing, those who applied disagree.

1 - It is not my logic but the logic of the employers. Employers seek professionals over volunteers. And yes, they assume that professionals are better than volunteers. I DON'T ASSUME THIS. All I am saying is that they do and they are the ones who decide who to employ so you may as well understand their logic.

2- I think if you can choose a paid job over a volunteering one (as in the Olympics) it will look better in your Cv. It might not be fair but volunteering is considered 2nd class experience when compared to paid job experience. I don't think they are fools and I acknowledge their desire to be "part of something big" (a big rip off to the taxpayers but let's leave it at that) but if they are aiming to a career they should get the paid job. But I understand that some of them really want to contribute and don't mind coming all the way down from the north, paying their own ticket, their own food and their own accommodation (expensive or cheap and ****ty) and work for someone who does not give a **** about taxpayers and Londoners and thus not a real **** about the free workers they managed to lure in. Of course they will disagree (I would too) if you have already accepted the volunteering offer, have bought the train ticket and are mentally prepared to "be part of something big".

[internet tough guy]

(Original post by Chronist)
Why do you do it for free when there are plenty of Olympics-related paid jobs?
I am just curious.

doubt there are enough for everyone to each have one

[ChelseyElla]

(Original post by Chronist)
2- I think if you can choose a paid job over a volunteering one (as in the Olympics) it will look better in your Cv

At my mums work she is involved in the recruitment process and if she has two candidates with the same experience, one who gets paid and one who does it voluntarily, she will always pick the volunteer.

[Chronist]

(Original post by internet tough guy)
doubt there are enough for everyone to each have one

All I can is that right now there are still many many vacancies and still many people have gone for volunteering.

[internet tough guy]

(Original post by Chronist)
All I can is that right now there are still many many vacancies and still many people have gone for volunteering.

many vacancies?

where?

[Chronist]

(Original post by internet tough guy)
many vacancies?

where?

Having less applicants for the jobs is beneficial for me. I can't afford to lose that benefit by disclosing information.

[internet tough guy]

(Original post by Chronist)
Having less applicants for the jobs is beneficial for me. I can't afford to lose that benefit by disclosing information.

Well then obviously there aren't jobs just are wanting for people to apply now is it? People have probably applied for both paid and voluntary work.

[Divingbrit]

1 - It is not my logic but the logic of the employers. and "but volunteering is considered 2nd class experience when compared to paid job experience."

Is it? Having spent quite a few (well far too many in fact ) years interviewing and employing staff, I would have to disagree, care to say where you get your info from as as it is so wrong, might be fun to see who is peddling this rubbish.

[12win12]

may i ask what exactly you are doing? you seem very against people volunteering and i dont see anything wrong in that. volunteering should be something one should be proud of

where exactly did you get the fact that employers pick paid-experience over volunteering which is a load of rubbish? are you saying some people have wasted their own time just working for free to benefit the community in anyway or for the sake of it just to help laying their future?

in fact are you just trying to say that people SHOULD NOT bother with using their own free time to make their own commitments? right now i think you are making an enemy to every individual who is volunteering/volunteered during the past.

just to add, i feel your arguement is VERY biased

[Divingbrit]

He has a right to air his views, but I really would like to see some hard facts to back up his posts.

[12win12]

i agree with you but i have never heard anything as rubbish as employers prefering people with paid jobs only. nonsense.

[Gryffprefect]

My reason is that the role that I've gotten as a Games Maker is 100 times better than any paid role I could have gotten at the Olympics. Most paid roles are in security, catering and cleaning whist I've gotten a Games Maker role on the medical team as first responder. Tell me what role would you rather take?
And even though you get paid to do the others, the wages are probably nothing to boast about. Anyway, I already live in London and have a full time, well paid job so I why would I want to take time off to do a mundane, rubbish and low wage paid job when I could be a part of history by being a Games Maker.

In terms of my CV, I think that looking after spectator medical needs would look so much better than cleaning toilets for the two weeks.

[jennaz77]

(Original post by 12win12)
i agree with you but i have never heard anything as rubbish as employers prefering people with paid jobs only. nonsense.

(Original post by ritchie888)
No jobs ask for that.

(Original post by ritchie888)
Of course it does, you mong.

(Original post by VickyTink)
So, an employer would rather employ someone who has done 100% paid work, over someone who has willingly given up their time and shown commitment for no monetary return?

(Original post by Divingbrit)
Not sure where you got that from, as its completely the other way round. I have employed many over the years, and what people do outside their paid job, says more about them than anything else.

Volunteering is good but there's no reason to bash the thread starter. Some of you are wrong, many jobs I have applied for, especially public sector jobs, have required me to have PAID work experience. They completely ignored my volunteering experience and some application forms only ask you to include work experience that you have been paid for.

[Divingbrit]

but there's no reason to bash the thread starter.

No one would dream of 'bashing' the thread starter, he has the right to state his views, but some of us (well quite a few of us) who may have more experience, have put our views, and asked politely where he got his facts so that we can see what proof his info is publishing. We can only state what we have seen ,in some cases in many years of employing staff.
Certainly public sector jobs must vary from one job to another,as my partner two years ago got her job , without ever previously working, but could say she had been a Guide Leader, and worked as a volunteer for sport relief. Seemed to go down well as she now has a full time work with Lincolnshire County Council.

[xoxAngel_Kxox]

Not everyone would have been able to get a paid job, and volunteering means that you can still be part of the Olympics which is a fantastic opportunity. Volunteering looks better on your CV than "didn't do London '12 because it was unpaid".

[Gryffprefect]

(Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox)
Not everyone would have been able to get a paid job, and volunteering means that you can still be part of the Olympics which is a fantastic opportunity. Volunteering looks better on your CV than "didn't do London '12 because it was unpaid".

Erm...not sure if it was you're intention but you make volunteering at the Olympics sound second class to a paid job. I didn't volunteer because I couldn't get a paid job at the Olympics but because I wanted to and the role I've been given is more amazing than any paid role could be. Also there were more paid roles to be had than unpaid since most of the Olympic workforce will be paid workers so in hindsight it was probably a lot harder to get a volunteer role than a paid role.

Apologies if that wasn't your intention but I'm getting tired of being bashed on for being a Games Maker.

[xoxAngel_Kxox]

(Original post by Gryffprefect)
Erm...not sure if it was you're intention but you make volunteering at the Olympics sound second class to a paid job. I didn't volunteer because I couldn't get a paid job at the Olympics but because I wanted to and the role I've been given is more amazing than any paid role could be. Also there were more paid roles to be had than unpaid since most of the Olympic workforce will be paid workers so in hindsight it was probably a lot harder to get a volunteer role than a paid role.

Apologies if that wasn't your intention but I'm getting tired of being bashed on for being a Games Maker.

Well that wasn't my intention, I said it was a fantastic opportunity and looks good on your CV, so I'm not sure which bit you took offence at.

I understand some people might have been getting at you, because a lot of people aren't in the position financially to be able to take an unpaid role therefore they won't understand why anyone else would choose to do so. But I didn't mean offence and still don't really understand why you took any. Chill out!

[Gryffprefect]

(Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox)
Well that wasn't my intention, I said it was a fantastic opportunity and looks good on your CV, so I'm not sure which bit you took offence at.

I understand some people might have been getting at you, because a lot of people aren't in the position financially to be able to take an unpaid role therefore they won't understand why anyone else would choose to do so. But I didn't mean offence and still don't really understand why you took any. Chill out!

No Worries. I knew you weren't out to offend. I was just feeling a little grumpy this morning.

I guess people have the right to ask why others would want to take an unpaid role in the same way as us saying why not. I just hate the way some are making you feel stupid for wanting to volunteer rather than do the paid work. I have my reasons (which I mentioned above).

[Divingbrit]

I just hate the way some are making you feel stupid for wanting to volunteer rather than do the paid work.

of course if they don't know why you want to volunteer rather than do the paid work its their failing :-)

[dobbs]

I realise I'm coming into this thread a little late, but I want to add some things, because I think many people on here (understandably) are of student-age and therefore are volunteering for a variety of reasons but as has come up the 'it looks good on my CV' thing may be a major factor.

From my perspective, I'm a teacher, and I'm giving up nearly 3 weeks of my summer holidays in order to volunteer at the Olympics. I'm spending nearly £200 on a campsite for the duration and will spend more than that when it comes to food, etc.

Why? It's fun OP have you never volunteered? Yeah I could get paid to do it, but then it's a job, and I don't want a job. I don't want a contract and be tied into it, I don't want to feel like people think I'm doing the work I'm doing just for the pay - I want to do it because I want to try to make these Olympic Games one of the most memorable for the people who are a part of it.

I'm a driver, which means I will work face-to-face with all types of people - Olympics committees, athletes, journalists, diplomats, and not just a quick "Hello" and check their ticket, no I'll have them in the back of my car for some period of time, so I'm going to really be able to show them how friendly we are (especially us Geordies ) and hope they have a good time here in the UK

If you speak to anyone who is volunteering this year who has volunteered at other major sporting events they will all rave about how much fun it is - yes it's demanding work but so what? If you're the type of person who only works hard when you're getting paid then that's your loss, I like to work hard to give a good service, and as I say, help ensure the Games are successful and memorable.

OP - you have a right to your own opinion, get paid if you like, but please don't throw your toys out of the pram because you can't understand why so many people would do it for free

Summary: I can't wait to spend 17 nights in a campsite getting grubby and minging, working 10-hour days ferrying people around in fancy new BMWs and then spending my days off just chilling around the campsite with other Games Makers Paid? No thanks