As evidenced by our May cover story on Craig Kielburger, the co-founder of Free the Children, volunteering can enhance both your resume and personal life. Here's how.

1. Like college, volunteering offers you the chance to get practical, hands on experience in the field you’re studying.

2. Depending on the time you can offer, the organizations you volunteer at will invest resources to teach you new skills. 

3. Volunteering, especially in the field you’re studying, offers you the chance to test drive your career interests before committing to a career path.

4. Employers are always impressed by applicants who are interested in supporting worthwhile causes.

5. The skills and experiences you gain will prep you for mid-level roles, thereby allowing you to skip entry level roles as you enter the corporate workforce.

And if you didn't think volunteering was common, think again. Here, according to Stats Canada, are some staggering stats about volunteering. So, if you haven't thought of it yet, what are you waiting for?   In 2012, more than 13.3 million people, or 47% of the population, volunteered their time through a group or organization. 

• Canadians volunteered nearly 2.1 billion hours in 2010, the equivalent of nearly 1.1 million full-time jobs (assuming 40 hours per week for 48 weeks).
• In 2012, Canadians who volunteered did so for an average of 156 hours in 2010, relatively unchanged from 2007.
• The highest rates of volunteering were found among Canadians who were younger, were single, married or in a common-law relationship, or had young children at home.