Are Internships Volunteering? Understanding the Key Differences and Overlaps
When you’re starting out in your career or looking to gain experience, two common options come up: internships and volunteering. Both involve giving your time, learning new skills, and building your CV, but are internships considered a form of volunteering?
It’s a great question, and one we often get at Volunteer Now, especially from students and young professionals trying to meet community service requirements or plan their career path.
In this post, we’ll explore the similarities and differences between internships and volunteering, and when one might count as the other.
🤝 The Similarities: Where Internships and Volunteering Overlap
At a glance, internships and volunteering look quite similar. Both can involve:
✅ Giving your time to an organisation
✅ Learning valuable skills
✅ Building experience for future work or study
✅ Networking with professionals
✅ Helping an organisation achieve its goals
Both are often seen as stepping stones, whether you’re building a career, applying to university, or exploring future options.
❌ The Differences: What Sets Them Apart
Despite the similarities, internships and volunteering serve different purposes and are structured differently.
| Aspect | Internship | Volunteering |
| Purpose | Career development | Community contribution |
| Payment | May be paid or unpaid | Always unpaid |
| Duration | Often fixed (e.g., 3 months) | Can be once-off, short- or long-term |
| Structure | Usually formal with set goals, supervision, and evaluations | Can be flexible and informal |
| Expectation | Skills development related to a specific career | Altruistic and focused on helping others |
| Legal/Contractual | Often involves a contract or agreement | Usually informal or based on a code of conduct |
💼 What Is an internship?
An internship is a structured work experience program offered by an organisation to help individuals, usually students or graduates, gain industry-specific knowledge and practical skills. Internships are often tied to a particular career path and may lead to full-time employment.
In South Africa, internships are common in fields such as media, engineering, marketing, IT, education, and public administration.
Some internships are unpaid, which can lead to confusion about whether they are “volunteering.”
💛 What Is Volunteering?
Volunteering, by contrast, is driven by the desire to help others, give back, or support a cause, without personal gain as the primary motive. It may or may not be related to your career, and it’s typically more flexible in structure.
You might volunteer at a shelter, a school, a food bank, or an environmental clean-up, even if your chosen career is in accounting or engineering. The point is to contribute to the greater good.
🧾 Can an Internship Count as Volunteering?
Sometimes, yes, but with conditions.
If the internship:
- Is unpaid
- Is at a non-profit or public service organisation
- Involves work that benefits the community or a social cause
- And is not required for academic credit or employment
…then it could be seen as a form of volunteering, particularly if you’re using the hours for community service or Life Orientation school requirements.
🔍 Example:
An unpaid internship at an NPO helping run food drives could count as volunteering.
But a corporate internship at a marketing agency, even if unpaid, likely wouldn’t.
📚 Internships and School Requirements
In South Africa, high school learners are often required to complete community service hours for Life Orientation. Universities and bursary programs may also request proof of community involvement.
Important: Not all internships qualify.
⚠️ If you’re planning to log hours from an internship as community service or volunteering:
- Make sure the organisation is a registered NPO or public benefit organisation
- Ask for a letter or certificate confirming your role and hours
- Double-check with your school or university whether the hours will be accepted
✅ When Internships and Volunteering Work Together
Sometimes the best opportunities blur the lines:
- You gain hands-on experience and make a real difference
- You contribute to a cause and build your resume
- You learn and give back
At Volunteer Now, we encourage young people to find meaningful volunteer opportunities that also help them grow. Many of our partner organisations offer long-term volunteer roles that are perfect for developing leadership, teamwork, and project management skills.
🖥️ How Volunteer Now Can Help
Looking for verified volunteering opportunities that count toward your hours, support great causes, and help you build experience?
We’ve got you covered:
- 📌 Browse local and virtual volunteer roles
- 📚 Get certificates for verified hours
- 🤝 Connect with trusted NPOs
- 🧠 Build real skills for school, life, and career
👉 Explore more at www.volunteernow.co.za
Final Thoughts
While internships and volunteering are not the same, both can be powerful experiences that shape your future. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right path for your goals, whether you’re aiming to serve your community, boost your CV, or explore career options.
At the end of the day, what matters most is showing up, getting involved, and making a difference. Whether you call it an internship or volunteering, you’re building a better future for yourself, and others.
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