Abstract

Within the current economic climate students are seen as needing more than a degree to succeed in securing
graduate employment. One way that students chose to enhance their employability is through engaging in
voluntary work. In this empirical study, undergraduate psychology students’ reasons for volunteering are
explored within the context of enhanced employability. Thirty-nine students provided written narrative
accounts of their reasons for undertaking voluntary work. Responses were analysed together to identify key
themes and subthemes. The main finding from this analysis was the large degree of cluster overlap within
individual participants’ responses between self and other focused motives, allowing for a model of strongly
interdependent motives to emerge. Students clearly benefitted from both volunteering and the opportunity to
reflect on their experiences. The findings are discussed in terms of their value for promoting volunteering for
psychology students, in and beyond the context of employability.