What skills do I need to work in the sector?

The voluntary sector has a wide variety of organisations with enormous opportunities for people with a wide range of skills. However there are some big skills and knowledge gaps that many voluntary sector organisations need to address. These include:

• Strategic IT expertise
• Legal knowledge
• Strategic planning and thinking
• Health & Safety
• Marketing
• Leadership experience and expertise.

However almost any set of skills will be relevant for some organisations within the sector.

Many voluntary sector organisations advertise their vacancies widely. See our hints and tips in the 'Where to look' section for more information on where vacancies of interest to you might be advertised.

The types of skills each job requires should be summarised in the job advertisement and spelled out in detail in the person specification which accompanies the application form and job description. When completing your application ensure that you demonstrate, by giving examples, that you have the skills and attributes listed as essential in the job requirements.

To help you prepare, try our online Skills Matching Tool. This will give you valuable information on the types of job for which your skills will be suited and provide you links to live vacancies for job types that interest you.

Once you have used the tool, you can read more information on how to find the right job for you.