Ever since the start of his degree programme, Jonas Kjær Sepstrup has always known that he didn’t want to spend ALL his time studying. Voluntary work has given him the chance to meet new people, develop his competences and expand his horizons in terms of future jobs and how to find them. 
How long have you been working as a volunteer?

“I’ve been working as a volunteer for Humanister i Erhvervslivet (a student organisation promoting contact between humanities graduates and the business community) for just over a year now. But I started getting much more involved six months ago, when I was elected chair of the organisation.”

How did you get the idea of doing volunteer work?

“It started a long time ago. I’ve done a few small projects already, and always knew I didn’t want to spend ALL my time studying. I thought that if anything interesting came my way, I’d jump at the chance. I want to keep my living costs to an absolute minimum so I don’t actually need to earn any money while I’m studying. Instead I can do volunteer work for something I believe in.”

So what kind of tasks do you take on?

“They mostly involve some kind of organisation. We meet every Monday, and I delegate jobs to the other volunteers. Some will be asked to produce graphical material, while others undertake to contact specific companies. I also do any other tasks which appeal to me. In particular, I really enjoy contacting any companies which are of interest to us. In other words, I have an influence on the kind of tasks I do.”

Does the job live up to your expectations?

“Absolutely. I think it all depends on how much you invest in it. At first it was nice to work just a few hours a week, because that’s exactly what I needed at the time. But ever since I was elected to the chair, I’ve been investing a lot of time in the job and getting a lot out of it too – especially in terms of my academic profile. I want to make the job relevant for my field of study, which is why I spend so much time on it.”

How does your voluntary work enable you to use your academic and personal skills?

“I love meeting new people, so on a personal level it’s great to have the chance to do this – not only in relation to the tasks we do, but also internally in the organisation. We are all good friends. There’s always someone who is keen to meet up with you.

The aspect of media studies which interests me is the technical side involved in developing media and our society. The job gives me the chance to organise workshops focusing on this topic, thereby broadening my horizons. It helps me to explore the aspects of my degree programme that interest me most. I’ve also improved my graphical skills and gained a bigger network.”

Which tasks do you enjoy most?

“During my internship I met a manager in a position that I didn’t even know existed. I was both fascinated and surprised to learn that the tasks involved in this position were a perfect match for my academic and personal interests. The job combined ethics, technology and media with the humanities. So when we decided to plan a workshop, I invited this manager to come along and give us a presentation. It was great to have the chance to hear what he had to say about career paths.”

If you had to recruit some new volunteers, what kind of person would you be looking for?

“I’d look for someone who can convert theory into practice, someone who is enthusiastic about the job they are asked to do. You need to be able to take the initiative and maintain your enthusiasm. This will give you a sense of ownership of what you’re doing, which is a huge motivational factor.”

Good advice for other people interested in becoming a volunteer:

Don’t spend time waiting around for the perfect volunteering opportunity. Get out there and find out what’s going on, then put all your energy into whatever appeals to you. Don’t worry about not knowing anyone. You’ll get to know the others soon enough; and whatever happens, there will always be someone who can help you find what you’re looking for. It won’t take long to gain a wealth of experience and find out what you want to do. The windows of opportunity will open in front of you. All you have to do is take the first step.

This article was written in December 2019.