Advice and guidance volunteer - Breaking Barriers

Advice and guidance volunteer

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As an advice and guidance volunteer, you will be providing general support or sector-specific support in Birmingham, Glasgow, Greater Manchester, Liverpool or London. You will lead 1:1 advice and guidance appointments with refugees, helping them navigate the UK job market and achieve their career goals.

Contact [email protected] for more information, otherwise visit our FAQ page.

Working as a sector-specific volunteer allows me to use the knowledge and experience I’ve gained in my career to help clients navigate the UK’s complicated and often impenetrable legal profession.

Emma - advice and guidance volunteer

Sector-specific support

When someone has identified an interest in a particular career path, we pair them with a volunteer who has knowledge and experience of that sector to provide targeted support and address specific goals. This can involve:

  • Creating tailored CVs and cover letters  
  • Signposting to specific job websites and networks 
  • Providing in-depth knowledge of the client chosen sector
  • Advising on progression within the sector

Requirements 

  • Previous UK work experience
  • Ability to act with compassion and adapt your approach to suit clients at various points in their journey to employment
  • Reliability, flexibility and problem-solving skills
  • Computer literate and access to a laptop or computer with webcam
  • Fluent/native level of English
  • Beneficial: language skills (including Arabic, Farsi/Dari, Tigrinya, Amharic, Somali, Pashto, Tamil)
  • All sectors are welcome but particularly useful experience includes: HR, construction, accountancy, law, NHS, engineering, hospitality, customer service, teaching, business and apprenticeships
  • Alignment with BB’s mission to help refugees acquire the knowledge, confidence and experience to get stable, fulfilling employment

Commitment 

  • For general support, we ask for a commitment of 2-4 appointments per month (a typical appointment is 1-1.5 hours long) for a minimum of 6 months
  • Sector-specific appointments are arranged on an ad-hoc basis and we therefore do not ask for a minimum monthly hours commitment for this role
  • Please note, volunteering takes place Monday-Friday, 9.00am – 5:30pm

Location

This role can be remote and/or at one of our offices:

  • Birmingham: Landmark, 2 Snow Hill Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6GA
  • Glasgow: Coming soon!
  • Greater Manchester: Landmark Office Space, Chancery Place, 50 Brown Street, Manchester,M2 2JG
  • Liverpool: Coming soon!
  • London: WeWork, 71-91 Aldwych, London WC2B 4HN

Benefits of volunteering

  • Have a genuine impact on Breaking Barriers and the lives of refugees
  • Increase your understanding of the barriers refugees face in accessing employment in the UK
  • Develop your knowledge and skills
  • Gain an insight into how Breaking Barriers works
  • Be part of an innovative charity that is growing all the time
  • Meet other like-minded volunteers
  • Full induction and training provided

Hello friend!

Would you like to join our advice and guidance volunteers?

Apply now

Meet our volunteers

Meet our volunteers

Emma

Emma has been using her knowledge as a lawyer to help refugees break into the legal sector.

Meet our volunteers

Eiman

Eiman is a English and Arabic translator/interpreter that's been volunteering for Breaking Barriers since November 2022. In her spotlight, Eiman will be sharing her experience of volunteering, as well as one of her highlights at Breaking Barriers.

Meet our volunteers

Renee

Renee has been volunteering with Breaking Barriers on our education programme as an English teacher.

Meet our volunteers

Sabrina

Sabrina is an advice and guidance volunteer, who began supporting clients in London in 2019 and has recently been supporting BB with regional expansion by delivering 1:1 employment support to new clients in Birmingham.

Meet our volunteers

Stefano

Stefano is an advice and guidance volunteer whose background in lecturing has supported refugees into further education and employment.

Have more questions?

We have a dedicated page to help answer any questions you might about volunteering in Birmingham, Greater Manchester, or London. If you still can't find what you're looking for, please contact [email protected].

Volunteering FAQs