Job seekers often wonder if unpaid work merits space on a professional document. Including volunteer experience depends on your career stage, the relevance of the work, and the story you want to tell an employer. When applied strategically, volunteer work can enhance an application by offering a more complete view of your capabilities and character. This can be a method for distinguishing yourself from other candidates.
The Benefits of Including Volunteer Work
Volunteer experience provides a view into your personal values and initiative. It demonstrates a willingness to contribute to a community or cause, a quality many employers find attractive. This signals a commitment to personal growth and community involvement, painting a more holistic picture of who you are. Showcasing your volunteer efforts can also show a strong alignment with a company that has a corporate social responsibility program.
This work is also a way to highlight a range of transferable skills like communication, teamwork, project management, and leadership. For instance, organizing a fundraising event requires managing people, coordinating logistics, and communicating with various stakeholders. If your paid roles have not offered opportunities to develop certain competencies, volunteerism can fill that gap with concrete examples of your abilities.
When to Add Volunteer Experience
Feature volunteer work to address a gap in your employment history. If you have been out of the workforce, detailing your volunteer activities shows that you remained productive and continued to develop your skills. For example, if you took time off to care for family, volunteering for a school’s parent-teacher organization demonstrates ongoing engagement and organizational abilities. This reassures hiring managers that you have maintained a strong work ethic.
For recent graduates or those with limited professional history, volunteer experience can substitute for paid work. Students who have dedicated time to campus organizations or community projects can use this experience to prove they possess attributes employers value. This includes reliability and the ability to work towards organizational goals.
Volunteerism is advantageous when making a career change. If you are moving into a new industry and lack direct paid experience, relevant volunteer roles can bridge the gap. For someone transitioning from marketing to the nonprofit sector, having volunteered as a grant writer for a charity demonstrates a genuine interest and foundational skills in the new field.
Add volunteer experience when it is directly relevant to the job or industry you are targeting. If you are applying for a project management position, highlighting your experience as a volunteer team lead for a community cleanup event is applicable. This shows you have practical skills for the role.
How to List Volunteer Work on Your Resume
The placement of your volunteer experience depends on its relevance. If the role is highly relevant and demonstrates skills applicable to the position, integrate it into your “Professional Experience” section. You can title the section “Professional & Volunteer Experience” and list the role chronologically with your paid jobs, indicating it was a volunteer position.
For experience that is less directly related but still showcases valuable skills, a dedicated “Volunteer Experience” or “Community Involvement” section is appropriate. This section comes after your professional experience and education.
The format should mirror that of a paid position. Include your volunteer title, the name of the organization, its location, and the dates you were involved. Use bullet points to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments, using strong action verbs and quantifying achievements. For example, instead of “helped with fundraising,” write, “Co-managed a fundraising event for 300 attendees, raising over $2,500 for community programs.”
What Volunteer Experience to Omit
Some volunteer experiences are better left off your resume. If the work is unrelated to the job and does not demonstrate transferable skills, it may take up valuable space.
The age of the experience also matters. Volunteer work from high school or many years ago may no longer be relevant to your current career goals. Generally, focus on activities from the last five to ten years, unless a past experience was significant or aligns perfectly with the job.
Consider the nature of the organization. If your volunteer work was for a political or religious group that could be seen as controversial, it might be wise to omit it. You should only include it if you are certain the employer’s values align with the cause to avoid potential bias from the hiring manager.