????許多志愿者都覺得，那句哀嘆好人難做的古老格言簡直太對了。簡單舉幾個例子，我自己的經歷就包括浪費時間做一名青年志愿者導師、未遂心愿的動物救助者和公益律師。

????無論是出于利他或專業原因，對于那些尋求機會回饋社區機會的人來說，能否找到正確的崗位或許意味著你是在推進崇高的事業（包括你自己的職業生涯），還是只不過換了個地方打糖果方塊游戲(CandyCrush)。

????美國勞工統計局（the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics）的數據顯示，2012年，大約有6,450萬美國人通過一家組織或為一家組織從事志愿活動。做志愿者的原因有很多。首先，許多人覺得，在他們所住社區從事志愿活動是一種互惠互利的基本義務。“我認為每個個體都是社群主義者，他們認為自己與所住社區榮辱與共，所以肩負著回饋之責，”巴納德學院(Barnard College)職業發展辦公室主任、哈萊姆區加略山浸信會教堂(Mount Calvary Baptist Church)牧師羅伯特?厄爾說。

????志愿服務不僅僅是一種無私的決定。許多人也想從中獲得某種東西。厄爾說：“志愿服務也是一個極好的機會，可以讓志愿者開發可以在工作世界轉移的技能，見到不同的人，并獲得領導技能。”

????但這并不意味著每一個志愿者角色都將提供這些好處。如果不事先做好功課，你就會為此付出代價。

????首先要確保你正在追求一項你熱愛的事業，無論這項事業是什么。對于高線之友(Friends of the High Line)董事會聯席主席、紐約公共圖書館(The New York Public Library)受托人、前董事會主席卡蒂?馬倫來說，這項事業是服務于公共場所，特別是公園和圖書館。她最近出版的新書《城市公園：公共空間，個人想法》(City Parks: Public Spaces, Private Thoughts)是自己從事志愿活動（盡管是一位身居高位的志愿者）的熱情抵達的新頂點。雖然她能夠一一列舉公園和圖書館提供的好處——“從掃盲培訓，電腦培訓，到一天臨近終了，沒有其他地方對外開放時，為人們提供一個安全的去處”——但她的介入也源自自身的興趣。她說：“我碰巧熱愛城市中的自然景觀，”并指出每個人都是不同的。“如果你愛音樂或藝術，那就是你應該參與的領域。所有這些志愿活動都有益于這個世界。它們都是無私的。”

????這好像是一個常識，但勞動力咨詢公司(The Workforce Consulants)董事總經理林達?祖蓋克指出，“通常情況下，人們只是覺得，‘哦，這是有空做的事情，’”然后別人讓做什么就做什么（這也是本文作者犯下的罪過）。

????我們不應該一有機會就急切地接受，而應該先研究一下你自己對哪些領域感興趣。Volunteermatch.org專門為事業驅動型志愿者與需要他們的組織牽線搭橋。宗教慈善組織美國志愿軍(Volunteers of America)讓潛在的社會改良家根據興趣搜索志愿服務崗位，一些城市機構也提供類似服務。比如，紐約市民可登陸允許用戶按照優先級別和興趣搜索服務機會的網站NYCService.org。

????一旦篩選完你的興趣方向，鎖定意欲服務的組織，并聯系到一個面談機會，你就需要不停地詢問各種問題。“對于一個正在尋找志愿服務的個體來說，最重要的事情莫過于理解你最終想獲得什么，”祖蓋克說。“找尋一項值得做、同時對你有助益的事業的關鍵是，搞清楚你的最終目標是什么，”無論這項目標是學習新技術技能，改進你對病患的態度，還是賑濟饑民。

????For many volunteers, the old adage about no good deed going unpunished rings all too true. My own experiences include time wasted as a volunteer youth mentor, attempted animal rescuer, and pro bono attorney, to name just a few.

????For those looking to give back to their communities, whether for altruistic or professional reasons, finding the right fit can mean the difference between advancing worthy causes -- including your career -- or simply having a new place to play CandyCrush.

????According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2012, about 64.5 million people volunteered through or for an organization in the U.S. There are plenty of reasons to volunteer. To start, there is the basic, reciprocal obligation to participate in the community where you live. "I look at each individual as a communitarian -- they are linked to the community where they live, so there is a responsibility to give back," says Robert Earl, director of Barnard College's Career Development Office and the Reverend at Harlem's Mount Calvary Baptist Church.

????Volunteering is not simply an altruistic decision. Many of us want to get something out of it, too. "Volunteering is also a wonderful opportunity to develop skills that are transferable within the work world, meet diverse people, and gain leadership skills," Earl says.

????But that doesn't mean every volunteer role will provide those benefits. If you don't do your homework beforehand, you will pay a price down the line.

????First and foremost, make sure you're pursuing a cause you're passionate about, whatever that cause may be. For Catie Marron, co-chair of the board of directors of Friends of the High Line and a trustee and former chairman of the board of The New York Public Library, that was public spaces, particularly parks and libraries. Her recently published book, City Parks: Public Spaces, Private Thoughts, is the culmination of passions she pursued as a volunteer, albeit a high ranking one. While she can list the benefits parks and libraries provide -- "from literacy training to computer training to giving people a safe spot to go at the end of the day when there's nowhere else that's open" -- her involvement stemmed from her own interests. "I just happen to love nature in the city," she says, noting that everyone is different. "If you love music or art, that's where you should get involved. All of these things do good for the world. They're all altruistic."

????This may seem like common sense, but as Lynda Zugec, the managing director of The Workforce Consulants, observes, "Oftentimes, people just think, 'Oh, this is available,'" and take whatever is offered. (Writer's note: Guilty as charged.)

????Instead of jumping at the first opportunity that comes your way, do some research about what is needed in the areas that interest you. Volunteermatch.org matches cause-driven volunteers with organizations that need them. Volunteers of America lets would-be do-gooders search positions by interest, and some municipalities provide similar services. (New Yorkers, for example, can check out NYCService.org, which allows users to search by priority as well as passion.)

????Once you've narrowed down your interests, vetted the organization, and set up an interview, don't stop asking questions. "The most important thing for an individual to do when he or she is looking for a volunteer opportunity is to understand where they want to get to," Zugec says. "The key in finding something that's going to be worthwhile and help you down the road is to know your end goal," whether that's learning new technical skills, working on your bedside manner, or feeding the hungry.