HOW WAS MY FIRST VOLUNTEERING EXPERIENCE IN AUSTRALIA? A CONVERSATION WITH BELLE LIM

To celebrate the launch of FF Empower Volunteering Program and the National Volunteer Week, Social Media Strategy Manager Aura Zuluaga spoke to Future Forte Founder & Executive Director Belle Lim.

Aura: How did you first get into volunteering?

Belle: After a few years studying in Australia, I was keen to expand the diversity of skills in my toolkit, as well as contribute towards something meaningful in my personal time. I first looked for opportunities at my university, where I signed up for a volunteering position on the student committee. It was entirely new for me at the time, but I slowly learnt how to work and lead a team, communicate with external partners, create an annual budget and much more. I applied what I learnt in my next role at the Council of International Students Australia, where I became the National President in 2020 after a few years. I wouldn't have been able to lead a national organisation and advocate for hundreds and thousands of international students effectively without taking the first step to volunteering at my local campus.

Aura: What are the challenges that you have met while volunteering?

Belle: Frankly, I haven't encountered many difficulties in my volunteering journey. This is because it is a low-stakes environment compared to your study or a full-time job. It is, by definition, a role that you voluntarily signed up for because it fulfils you in a meaningful way. If I felt like a volunteering role no longer served me, I would have left (which hadn't happened yet). This is not to say that these roles don't stretch me; they absolutely do! But that is also the thing I value - I choose to learn and improve on a lot of things because I care about the outcomes, and I want to do well. In return, they gave me a lot of skills and experiences that benefitted me too.

Aura: What lessons have you learnt through your volunteering experience?

Belle: I have learnt countless lessons from volunteering. The two biggest ones are probably leadership and influence. As my academic background is in research, I had spent a lot of time working and studying on my own but few opportunities to lead and manage people. Through working with many different leaders and holding leadership roles of my own, I've seen a lot of good leadership qualities that I choose to learn and many not-so-good qualities that I remind myself to avoid. On the second point, I have also seen some people who make decisions and wield influence for their own benefit. I became very passionate about advocating for international students and developing ways I can influence decisions that promote better equity. I believe that the best kind of leadership is one that benefits your community, your team and yourself - where no one is missing out.

Aura: How do you applying lessons to your role at Future Forte?

Belle: I apply all of these lessons in my role at Future Forte every day. One of my key priorities for the organisation is to provide the best experience for our volunteers. I understand that having a positive volunteering experience can fulfil your purpose, build long-lasting friendships, gain practical employability skills, and open doors to further amazing opportunities.

These are even more important for international students, so we are very keen to look after our volunteers and help them achieve their goals in Australia.

The inaugural FF Empower Volunteering Program is running from June to October. Applications for this year's program have closed - but stay tuned for FF events and programs throughout the year.