The basic qualities of a good ESC volunteer in the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) are personal responsibility, social responsibility, being ready to work in a team, communication skills, adapting to other cultures, being able to take criticism and reflect on yourself, openness to new things, curiosity and willingness to share. Volunteering gives people knowledge, experience, energy, tolerance, a habit of sharing, a professional approach and the ability to take responsibility. Volunteers do not expect to earn anything, yet the competences they gain are their biggest return. Volunteering is a full-time unpaid activity that has a duration of up to 12 months. Our guide on what the European Solidarity Corps is explains the programme itself.
Last updated: October 2026.
What are the nine qualities of an ideal ESC volunteer?
In a cross-border ESC volunteering project there are three parties: the volunteer, the host organisation in the country where the volunteer goes, and the support organisation (often called the sending organisation) in the volunteer's own country. The Info Kit helps you prepare for your European Solidarity Corps experience. The nine qualities of an ideal ESC volunteer are listed below, each with what the official Info Kit for Volunteers says and a real situation from ESC projects:
🧭 Personal responsibility: You should respect the rules and the organisational structure of the host organisation, and take good care of the accommodation that has been provided to you. You must not act in any way that could put others or yourself at risk of being injured or harmed. The biggest problem is when pocket money is paid monthly and volunteers spend it in the first week, then have no money for the rest of the month. Our guide on how ESC pocket money works explains how it is paid.
🤝 Social responsibility: You want to make a meaningful contribution to society and will show solidarity, cooperation and mutual understanding. Applying without real motivation, only for a free trip abroad, travel or language learning, is a big mistake. Travel and language learning are side benefits; the core of the programme is volunteering, contributing to the community and solidarity.
👥 Being ready to work in a team: You aim to build a community of shared responsibilities and mutual support. ESC volunteers usually live in a shared volunteer flat; sometimes in a dormitory or apartment-style residence, and rarely with a host family.
💬 Communication skills: While abroad, you should give the supporting organisation regular feedback on your experience. If a conflict situation arises, you may ask your mentor to facilitate communication between you and the local environment or the host organisation. Many volunteers do not clarify everything with the organisation, especially the details of their tasks; the right questions bring the right answers.
🌍 Adapting to other cultures: The programme offers you a series of training events and sessions that help you to adapt to cultural and personal challenges. You want to enhance solidarity between people, while respecting their cultures and traditions. In short-term volunteering, rooms are usually for 2 to 4 people, and in long-term volunteering for 1 or 2 people. The aim is to provide basic living conditions, so do not expect luxury.
🪞 Being able to take criticism and reflect on yourself: You are expected to attend regular meetings with your mentor throughout your activity, and these sessions will provide you with opportunities for guidance, feedback and problem-solving. Meetings are often planned weekly or every two weeks, but the volunteer and mentor agree on the rhythm.
🌱 Openness to new things: Through your participation in the European Solidarity Corps you will get a chance to live in a new place, learn about different cultures, make new friends. Selected volunteers should be told every detail honestly, for example that they may live in a small rural area, that transport may be only a bicycle, or that housing may be mixed-gender.
🔎 Curiosity: Many volunteers do not research the country, the city and the organisation before they go, and then they are not happy in the city; for example, someone used to a big city who goes blindly to a very small town. Research the organisation's website and activities and write a paragraph specific to it.
📣 Willingness to share: After the activity you will receive help from the support organisation in evaluating your participation in the European Solidarity Corps and sharing your experience. Former volunteers are encouraged to share their experience with people who are about to go. Our guide on the supporting organisation explains who helps you after you return.
What does a good ESC volunteer keep in mind?
A good ESC volunteer keeps five things in mind:
🙌 Remembers that they are a volunteer
🌐 Values intercultural learning
🌟 Wants to grow personally
🗣️ Represents their country well
📢 Tells others about these opportunities after returning home
The organisations that put together your activity have devoted a great deal of time, energy and resources to this. Respect their effort, as well as the local communities and people directly concerned by the activities. Our guide on why ESC volunteering is worth it weighs the pros and cons, and your first steps as an ESC volunteer covers what comes after selection.
What is an ESC volunteer not?
ESC is not a temporary or part-time job, an internship or paid work, only fun, a tourist trip or a language course, cheap labour, or university study abroad. ESC is also not a work camp. The aim of ESC is that the volunteer makes a concrete contribution to the community, develops personally and experiences intercultural solidarity. Volunteering activities must not substitute traineeships or jobs. You are not supposed to carry out routine tasks that would normally be carried out by paid employees. Our guide on what the European Solidarity Corps is explains the rules on work and study during a project, and common ESC myths clears up more wrong ideas.
Do you need experience, a degree or a language level to be an ESC volunteer?
No: organisations must not require previous qualifications, educational level, specific experience or language knowledge. A more specific profile of the volunteer might be drawn up if justified by the nature of the tasks of the activity or by the project context. Most projects accept participants with basic English, and language support is provided during the project. Our guide on ESC myths goes through the full list of worries that stop people from applying, and online language support explains the language help.
How do host organisations check these qualities?
In a cross-border ESC volunteering project, the host organisation is the organisation in the country where you go, and the host organisation selects you. Host organisations select volunteers mainly by the volunteer profile the project needs and by the CV and motivation letter, and the motivation letter should clearly state your personal qualities, what volunteering means to you, why you want to join that project and what it will give you. When a project coordinator selects participants, the coordinator tries to choose the person who fits the project topic best and has the highest motivation. Hosting organisations often use a selection process with several steps to understand a candidate's real motivation: whether they care about the topic or mainly want to leave their country or job, or see volunteering as travel. A demanding application also filters out candidates who are not really motivated. Volunteers are to be selected in a fair, transparent and objective way, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, political opinion or disability. After selection, some organisations connect new volunteers with previous or current volunteers by video call so they can ask questions and feel ready. Our guide on how to apply for ESC goes through the selection step by step, how to write an ESC motivation letter explains each part of the letter, and ESC application mistakes lists what to avoid.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need volunteering experience to be an ESC volunteer?
No: if you have never taken part in volunteering work before, do not consider yourself at a disadvantage. People who take part in local projects or volunteer are one step ahead in the eyes of project coordinators. Being active in a youth organisation is important but not required; young people who understand how these projects work and cooperate with local organisations have a clear advantage. Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where the offers are published.
Does your level of education matter?
No: your level of education is not a barrier, because someone who has only finished middle school can also take part in the projects. Our guide on ESC myths covers more worries about taking part.
Should you learn the local language?
Yes, at least enough to manage at the local market or greengrocer: there are few problems with language itself, but it pays to learn the local language. Our guide on online language support explains the language help during a project.
Do you need to be a member of the sending organisation first?
No: there is no requirement to be a member of the sending (support) organisation or to have taken part in its activities before. Our guide on the supporting organisation explains who the sending organisation is.
Where to go next
Youth Works Hub has a Match page that finds projects suited to you; using Match requires an account on the site, and signing up with Google is available but not required. Our guide on how to find Erasmus+ and ESC projects shows where the offers are published, and Youth Works Hub pages below cover the next steps.
Related pages: how to write an ESC motivation letter · how to apply for ESC · ESC application mistakes · ESC mistakes before you go · is ESC volunteering worth it · your ESC mentor
👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects
