Back in May, 2007, Jean-François Gagnon's ticket to self-discovery came in the form of a pink slip.
At 27, he'd just been laid off from his communications job at Collège Boréal, a francophone school with an office in Toronto. He'd always wanted to work abroad, but the daily grind put an information technology internship he'd wanted to do, with Aides Médicales et Charité, on the backburner.
"It wasn't my first idea, 'I'm getting laid off so I'll go overseas,' " he says. "But then I had this package, time to think. I thought, 'This may be time to just do it.' "
He applied and by September he was in Togo, where he built and managed computer databases for HIV/AIDS research statistics.
After returning to Canada and starting the job hunt, Mr. Gagnon found the volunteer experience was often brought up in interviews.
"When they asked 'What is one of your biggest accomplishments?' I always said it was this."
Volunteering abroad is looking more and more appealing to those stuck at home mourning the loss of their 9 to 5 because of the economic storms that continue to fuel job losses across the country.
It's also attractive to employers who have in recent years included corporate social responsibility in their mandate. Non-profit/relief/charitable organizations say they're fielding more calls from people who say they'd rather put their time to good use than spend hopeless months trying to tap into a bone-dry job market.
"There definitely has been an increase in calls during the past few weeks [especially] from career breakers," says Robert Levine, director of Projects Abroad Canada. "My guess is we're going to see a huge influx of people who have been laid off applying in the next month or two."
The sea change has already happened in Britain, where the Projects Abroad office reports a 53-per-cent increase in interest, Mr. Levine says.
Neil Finnie, partners manager with Global Vision International, a volunteer organi-
zation based in Britain, says the job market is so barren that laid-off employees are taking a "gap year" normally reserved for youngsters fresh out of school. While seeing the world and helping others, volunteers can also live on a limited dime, he says.
Mr. Levine says Projects Abroad is also fielding calls from more tradespeople, such as welders and carpenters, whose skills are deemed invaluable for conservation and construction projects. Other organizations are seeing interest from soul-searching investment bankers who have been laid off and are willing to plunk down sizable chunks of their severance money to get some adventure and do-gooder experience.
This time last year, Ajay Moti was working 14-hour days as a financial analyst with a major media organization in New York. His job was cut at the end of February along with 10 per cent of the work force after the company's stock took a dive. But Mr. Moti, 26, didn't wallow in Manhattan - he went travelling and wound up volunteering in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last August as an English teacher. The trip gave him perspective, Mr. Moti says. It's hard to moan about tanking RRSPs when you've just seen abject poverty.
He is, however, still fishing for a job.
"When I talk to recruiters, they say 'What have you been doing?' [I tell them] I've been travelling, volunteering abroad. ... It's a positive thing," he says.
Potential employers are often impressed to see a résumé packed with travel and volunteer experience, says Martin Buckland, a career management consultant in Oakville, Ont.
"It tells the recruiters and HR professionals that they are willing to share, they're willing to care and they make good use of their time," he says. "They're community-spirited, which is very, very important these days."
But, Mr. Buckland cautions, while it may be tempting to dole out résumés before heading out on a volunteer trip, or while you're away on one, assess your prospects and the likelihood you'll be called for an interview you wouldn't want to miss before you hit the road.
"They want to see you, they want you there," he says "If you're in Africa, that's a bit difficult."
Margaret Evans didn't volunteer with the intent of boosting her résumé; she did it because her layoff from a job as a sales manager at a Portland, Ore., talk radio station in October opened a window of opportunity. In December, she volunteered at an orphanage in Belize with Florida-based Dream Center International.
"I think it's good anecdotally, [to show that] when life gives you lemons, make lemonade," says Ms. Evans, 48. "It tells what kind of person you are, that you're able to bounce back."
But the future is not all rosy for volunteer organizations, some say. Many anticipate a decline in interest as the economy continues to tank, leaving people with less money to spend on travel and registration.
Kristin Treleaven, volunteer co-ordinator for HOPE International Development Agency, says her organization could potentially see fewer applicants, especially university-aged volunteers whose parents often help fund the trips. Basecamp International director Dave Morrison says he expects volunteers will push off their trip plans and wait for clearer skies.
Mr. Gagnon says the volunteer experience made him realize he wanted to pursue international development as a career - he now works with development organization Canadian Crossroads International.
"The first thing is not, 'Will it look good on my résumé?' It's the feeling of compassion, of wanting to make a difference," he says. "It takes courage to leave things behind and build a new life."
