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Volunteer work only builds confidence if you feel like you have actually achieved something worthwhile through your efforts. A non-profit where I volunteer gets calls all the time about mandatory volunteer work for students. Leaving aside the inherent difference between "mandatory" and "volunteer", we usually turn these kids down. They have no skills, and we have no extra resources to train them. We usually have to cover very basic concerns, including showing up on time, putting away the cell phone, closing the MySpace.com window on the computer, and wearing appropriate clothes (shoes are required for most jobs, for example). Perhaps one student in thirty knows how to use a fax machine. Four out of five have never used a photocopier. Many can't correctly arrange files in alphabetical order. Yes, these are high school and college students! I cannot believe that the schools think local non-profits are thrilled to take on basic training for these kids.