Q. I am a recent graduate of medical billing and have been unsuccessful, so far, in my job search. I am considering doing volunteer work in a local hospital to get a head start on my career, and am scheduled for volunteer orientation in a few days. There will be an interview after the orientation, and I know that one of the questions will be, "What are the reasons why you want to volunteer?" Shall I be honest and tell them I hope volunteering may lead me to a full-time job?

A.What a wonderful question about a very important subject - volunteering.

Yes, you should tell them exactly that. You are interested in beginning your career in medical billing and feel that volunteering would not only help others, but also help yourself in improving your workplace skills in this area. You can also tell them that you want the opportunity to be able to show the employer what other skills you are able to bring to their table - workplace attributes like a positive attitude, work ethic, reliability, honesty, energy. In addition, you can tell them that you believe volunteering can help you with your networking, for career and for personal growth.

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