Volunteer work may not hold the same weight as a paid position on a resume, but depending on the duties and how you cast the experience, it could be well worth including. If you don’t have extensive work experience, volunteer work can also showcase your skill set and help employers get a sense of your values.
Pros of Listing Volunteer Work on Your Resume
Listing volunteer work on a resume can showcase your soft skills and transferable skills, which can help employers see you in a position even if you don’t have extensive work experience. This is especially helpful if you are a recent graduate or are making a career change. For example, many volunteer work positions require teamwork, communication and leadership skills, which are valuable in a wide range of industries.
Listing your volunteer work can also help a hiring manager get a sense of your values and interests outside of work, adding depth to your personal brand. If you have been laid off or have gaps in your employment history, including volunteer work can show a hiring manager that you are using your time productively while job searching.
Including your volunteer work on your resume is important if you work in an industry or sector that encourages volunteer work, such as health care, academia or nonprofit. Volunteering demonstrates your commitment to the industry’s values and shows how you are developing your skill set in real-world situations.
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When You Shouldn’t List Volunteer Work on Your Resume
If you are a mid-career professional and already have a lot of relevant work experience, you can be more strategic with your resume. If your work experience already showcases your skills and your other resume sections are robust, it may not be worthwhile to make room to include volunteer work. Also, consider how long ago you volunteered. If it was many years ago, the volunteer experience may be stale and not worth including.
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How to List Volunteer Work on Your Resume
If you are considering including volunteer work on your resume, first determine how it is relevant to the position you are applying for and what skills you aim to highlight. If asked to explain your volunteer work in an interview, would you be able to talk about it as if it had been a previous job?
If your volunteer work is relevant to the job, you may want to include it under the professional or work experience sections on your resume. Use the same formatting as your other work experience and highlight any measurable accomplishments, just as you would a regular job.
Avoid listing your volunteer experience on a resume in the following example:
— VOLUNTEER WORK
Volunteer Doctor: Doctors Without Borders
Instead, list your relevant volunteer work experience as you would list a regular job:
— PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Director of Marketing
Community Service Organization: 2019-2023
Led marketing and communications efforts with Community Service Organization, which brings together community members, city government leaders, business professionals and nonprofit organizations in Atlanta. Executed a successful marketing campaign for the 2023 annual fundraising event, resulting in a 30% increase in attendance and 10% increase in fundraising.
If your volunteer work isn’t relevant to the job but highlights your dedication to your community or interests outside of work, consider including it on your resume under an additional information section or adding a section exclusively for volunteer work.
— AWARDS, VOLUNTEER WORK, ASSOCIATIONS
Spanish Translator
Translators Without Borders: 2017-present
Use Spanish language skills to assist in the translation of 20 medical documents monthly to serve those who otherwise can’t afford this service.
If you are a recent grad without much work experience, you may want to highlight your volunteer experience on a resume. Consider listing internships, leadership positions in a student organization and mentoring programs where you served others. Again, try to measure accomplishments in those roles, not just list the tasks you performed. Here is an example:
— RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Vice President
University of Georgia Agricultural Club: 2021-2023
Assisted in planning in-person and virtual events for the benefit of the local agricultural community. Efforts resulted in more efficient practices and a 15% increase in donations.
If you are changing careers and don’t have a lot of work experience that highlights your transferable skills, consider adding a volunteer work section near the top of the page. This will ensure that the hiring manager doesn’t miss that section and can see the connection between your volunteer work and the duties of the position you’re applying for.
— VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE
Marketing Lead
Volunteer Organization Name, 2019-2023
Created marketing program for Volunteer Organization Name by obtaining $60K+ grant funding and engaging volunteers.
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Remember to Tailor Your Resume
It’s important to tailor your resume to the job opening. You may find that it makes sense to include your volunteer work for one job, but it doesn’t make sense to include it for another. For example, some organizations may have a company culture of giving back to the community, and you can highlight that you fit in with that culture by including your volunteer work.
Keep a master copy of your resume with all of your work and volunteer experience so you can customize it to each job posting. Use keywords from the posting as well as your research about the company to help you determine which work and volunteer work experiences best highlight that you are an ideal candidate for the position.
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When and How to List Volunteer Work on a Resume originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 11/06/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
