With the nation's unemployment rate still around 10 percent, job seekers are looking for ways to keep their skills up to date and expand their network of contacts. However, because the number of paid opportunities cannot match the number of those needing jobs, people are looking to volunteering as an effective way to gain new experiences and keep working.

To help meet the demand for meaningful volunteer opportunities, HandsOn Network, the volunteer-focused arm of Points of Light Institute and the largest nonprofit volunteer network in the nation, will has joined Monster's 2010 Keep America Working Tour. The Monster.com career fairs are taking place from April through November in cities all across the country.

HandsOn Network will be on site at upcoming fairs in Minneapolis, MN; Boston, MA; Richmond, VA; Washington D.C.; Charlotte, NC, and Miami, FL, providing information about local volunteer opportunities and the ability to sign up for them on the spot. Volunteer work offers the chance to acquire new, marketable job skills and increase employment networks, two needs that are crucial for any job seeker. What can be gained from these opportunities is becoming apparent to many who are looking for permanent work.

"This joint venture creates a fabulous triangle of individuals, companies and communities"¦ and all benefit equally," said Vangie Garza, Senior Director of Advancement for the Volunteer Center of North Texas. Garza sees HandsOn Network and Monster as a natural fit. "Volunteering will not only keep those skills up to date, but also encourages job seekers to think outside the box and discover more skills and tasks they are able to do. That discovery in turn builds valuable self esteem, which is essential when you're unemployed."

Even as the economy improves, the average person can expect a dozen job changes in a working lifetime, some of them radical career shifts. He or she also faces global competition for jobs. Volunteer work offers a path to the increased versatility and diverse skills that the marketplace requires, as well as providing the bonus of improving communities everywhere.

"We are pleased to have Hands on Network join us on our Keep America Working Tour," said Lew Karabatsos, Vice President Corporate Philanthropy at Monster. "They are able to offer our job seeker attendees a vital way of enhancing their career experience through volunteering and applying their skills and expertise to good use in the community."

Applying those skills through volunteering also develops a sense of social responsibility. That altruistic feeling, a need to be of service, is fueling America's current boom in volunteerism. By getting involved in the community, job seekers feel connected to important work with a direct local impact.

"When you volunteer, you become an ambassador for social responsibility," stated Garza. "Wherever you happen to land that permanent job, you take the appreciation for social responsibility with you; you spread the word, you get others involved, because you’ve experienced the importance and impact of volunteering."

For more information on HandsOn Network, please visit www.handsonnetwork.org. For more information on Monster.com's Keep America Working Tour, call 1-866-950-TOUR, or search for "Monster Keep America Working" on Facebook.

HandsOn Network, the volunteer-focused arm of Points of Light Institute, is the largest volunteer network in the nation and includes more than 250 HandsOn Action Centers in 16 countries. HandsOn includes a powerful network of more than 70,000 corporate, faith and nonprofit organizations that are answering the call to serve and creating meaningful change in their communities. Annually, the network delivers approximately 30 million hours of volunteer service valued at about $600 million. For more information, please visit www.HandsOnNetwork.org.

Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW), parent company of Monster, the premier global online employment solution for more than a decade, strives to inspire people to improve their lives. With a local presence in key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia, Monster works for everyone by connecting employers with quality job seekers at all levels and by providing personalized career advice to consumers globally. Through online media sites and services, Monster delivers vast, highly targeted audiences to advertisers. Monster Worldwide is a member of the S&P 500 index. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading products and services, visit www.monster.com. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at http://corporate.monster.com.

Points of Light

Points of Light

Points of Light is a global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million volunteers in 16.7 million hours of service each year, contributing $498.7 million of value in people power into communities around the world. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. To learn more about Points of Light visit pointsoflight.org. 

Partnering with Points of Light means you’ll have the expertise and support you need to mobilize your colleagues and create community impact using all aspects of civic engagement. We've helped companies with a variety of needs including implementing large-scale employee volunteer events, tackling your larger social impact vision, expanding how you engage communities and consumers, infusing new ideas to your annual employee engagement programs, connecting with peers to bring the latest and greatest ideas on impact measurement, and getting company leadership investment and buy-in. Learn more today.

More from Points of Light