Find a volunteer job

How do I find a volunteer job?

You have to show interest in a volunteer job by yourself. Think of typical social organisations and ask there personally. Keep in mind what you like to do and how you can offer help. For many volunteering tasks you don’t need German.

It does not matter where in Austria you live, these organizations always look for help:

• Rotes Kreuz
• Retirement homes – for example you can play chess with elderly people and improve your German like that
• Nursing facilities
• Caritas
• Diakonie
• Alpenverein
• Volkshilfe Österreich

For sure there are more. Just ask around a bit.

Do you live on the country side?

Typical social organizations on the countryside are:

• Volunteer fire department
• Choir
• Scouts

For sure there are more, just keep your ears open.

Do you live in a city?

Other typical social organizations in cities are for example:

• Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund
• Die Johanniter
• MALTESER Hospitaldienst Austria

But there are also more than these, for sure!

Look on the Internet:

On these websites you can register for volunteering jobs. You get an e-mail or a call if a right position was found for you.

• We are looking for new team members.
• List of organizations in Austria that is looking for volunteers. You can filter the location and activity of the job.
• Look for voluntary work in your city on Google.
• In Vienna there are many possibilities:
  • https://wien.volunteerlife.xyz/home/freiwillig
  • Where2Help
  • http://ehrenamtsboerse.at
  • www.freiwilligenweb.at
  • www.diehelferwiens.at

Ask in the municipality:

If none of these organizations need help at the moment, you can ask at the municipality if can join a charitable project.

• Go to the municipal building and ask there.
• Go to the town hall and ask there.
• Go to the district office and ask there.

Ask people for advice:

• Ask your mentor.
• Ask your Austrian friends.

Additional tips:

• Take an interview for a volunteer work as serious as an interview for a paid job. Here you can find out, what that means.
• If you are rejected, don’t be disappointed. Leave your telephone number and come back after one month and ask again for volunteer work. Within this month, you will have improved your German which offers new opportunities for you. Also, perhaps one of the other volunteer workers has stopped and the organisation needs a new one.