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With only a handful of opportunities available to students under 18 years of age in the UAE, many school and university folks remain unexperienced when it comes to real-life work situations [especially dealing with people].

These prove to be roadblocks at internships and first jobs, justifying the lack of trust employers show in handing responsibilities to these newbies. A spiral may form fairly quickly.

Read: 7 Reasons Your LinkedIn Profile Really Matters [For Job Hunting & Otherwise]

Keeping this in mind, Dubai Jazz Fest gives students an opportunity to get a taste of the sticky, perky and complex ways of the world. It’s not all roses and rainbows, concerts and free food – there’s real opportunity to grow [although yes, there are concerts and free food].

Here are 5 reasons you consider volunteering at Dubai Jazz Fest:

1. Getting the skills

We spoke to a few ex-volunteers who shared their experience. One male student tells us it helped him at his current job in Finance, since he got acquainted with:

Team management, working under pressure , doing things quickly, effectively and efficiently.

If you’re planning a career in event management, it’s a nice experience to have. It’ll give you a look at what happens behind-the-scenes during the shows, which will be a much more realistic take on your life in that field.

Did you know the 4 Certifications to Help You Stand Out in UAE?

2. You can catch snippets of the shows live [for free]

When you’re not working at the ticketing desk or backstage, you get to catch some of your favourite celebrities perform live. This year around, the line-up includes David Gray, Chris Botti featuring Sting, and the Santana!

3. It can be challenging [like real-life work situations]

There are two sides to the story. While it can be a learning experience, quite a few curveballs may come your way. You have to grit your teeth, deal with a sometimes challenging crowd, and keep your cool in high pressure situations. A female AUS graduate tells us the experience was practice in:

Dealing with people/strangers and their egos, and a total workout. 

She shared that being a volunteer was easy enough because your responsibilities were limited, but if you sign up to be a supervisor, you’re in for a real run.

It was fun and games the first time around… but as a supervisor, you have to deal with kids who’re under you, who are generally decent [but can be challenging].

4. N.E.T.W.O.R.K.

Other volunteers present at the event come from a diverse set of backgrounds. If you come from a school or college that lacks diversity, this is a good chance to dip your feet into a multicultural pool and learn about how to communicate with people from different backgrounds.

A male ex-volunteer tells shares:

Learnt a lot of new things and got to know about more volunteering opportunities. I still keep in touch with many of them and we have helped each other learn different activities and events that could benefit us in Dubai.

Not so good at networking? Here are 5 Easy Ways to Appear More Confident Than You Feel

Sign-Up

The sign-up process is simple. You have to fill in the PDF form here and e-mail it to volunteers@chilloutproductions.com. You’ll be called in for an interview and be briefed about your duties during the event.

Tasks and positions will be assigned to you and you will be working with team leaders.

Have you been a Dubai Jazz Fest volunteer before? We’d love to hear from you. Our readers would benefit immensely too. Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

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