This is a nice article on how to use volunteer experience to boost your career, and where to find appropriate volunteer work. Here is one person's story:

Patricia Murray, of Durham, N.C., couldn't find a job. But she didn't sit at home, waiting for a work offer to arrive by mail or phone. Instead, Murray started volunteering.

"When a new senior center was built downtown, some people complained that there weren't enough activities," Murray says. "So I started the Swingin' Seniors Club. I provide the music, and (the) seniors enjoy snacks and dancing."

One day, a nonprofit director - and frequent visitor to the Swingin' Seniors Club - asked Murray how she was faring. Murray revealed she was struggling financially, but otherwise happy.

"She wished me luck and started to walk away," Murray says. "Then she spun around and told me that I might be the right candidate for a job that she knew about."