Financial Notices

How much notice do I need to give for leaving a volunteer job?

I volunteer 6 hours a week at my college's library but just got hired at the public library and start next week. They have 3 other student workers there and wouldn't need advanced notice of my leaving. I'm just wondering if it would be polite to give a bit of notice or if I can just tell them that tomorrow (literally) will be my last day. I would prefer to do the latter.

Public Comments

1. It's polite to give them at least a few days notice, so they can arrange a replacement/cover for your job.
2. well i went through the same exact thing. i just told my supervisor i was recently hired somewhere and i would no longer be volunteering. don't worry about saying you'll stay another week or month. decide what is the best time for you to leave and do so. remember, you are giving them your time for free. when i told my supervisor she was happy i told her and wished me good luck. don't feel guilty about it.
3. If at all possible, you should take the high road and give a professional 2 weeks notice, and let them know that you would really appreciate it if today could be your last day. This is especially true if you would like them to be a professional reference in the future.
4. Just talk to your supervisor at the volunteer job and explain the situation. Be sure to thank them for the experience and everything you learned, as it will obviously be directly useful in your new job. If you have a shift or two that needs covered, ask the other volunteers to help you out. While it would have been ideal for you to at least let your supervisor know you were looking for a paid job, it's too late to do anything about that now. Luckily, the thing about volunteer positions is that there is really nothing KEEPING the volunteers there. Also, I'm sure your duties were very important, but they can probably make due without you once or twice until they fill your spot. Usually volunteers are helpful to have, but not absolutely necessary- they just take a load off of the regular employees. Just be sure to communicate well with your current supervisor, and I'm sure everything will go well. The worst thing you could do is disappear without a trace or explanation. You will probably want to use your connections there as references down the road, so don't burn any bridges. It probably won't be as awkward as you might expect, so don't get too worked up about telling them you're leaving :-) Good luck with your new job, and don't forget everyone who helped you learn the basics in your volunteer position!!