Including volunteer work on your resume can set you apart from other candidates in today's competitive job market. With many employers valuing community involvement, showcasing your volunteer experience can highlight your skills and commitment.
Why Include Volunteer Work on Your Resume?
74% of recruiters consider volunteer work equally valuable as paid experience. (Source: LinkedIn)
According to LinkedIn, this statistic shows that volunteer work can significantly enhance your profile.
Steps to Effectively Include Volunteer Work
- •Identify Relevant Volunteer Experience: Choose volunteer work that aligns with the job you’re applying for.
- •Create a Separate Section: List volunteer work in a distinct 'Volunteer Experience' section for clarity.
- •Use Action Verbs: Start bullet points with action verbs (e.g., 'coordinated', 'managed') to convey your impact.
- •Quantify Your Contributions: Include metrics or numbers to show how your work made a difference.
- •Align Your Skills: Highlight soft and hard skills gained through volunteering that are applicable to the job.
- •Include Dates and Roles: Clearly define your role and the duration of your volunteer work to enhance credibility.
- •Tailor for Each Application: Customize your resume for each job application to emphasize the most relevant volunteer experiences.
Pro Tip
Make the most of LeadRises' resume builder to highlight your strengths seamlessly. Tailor your resume for different roles by utilizing our customization features.
Highlighting Skills Gained from Volunteer Work
How do I choose which volunteer experiences to include?
Select experiences that present skills or roles relevant to the jobs you're applying for. If your volunteer roles are more aligned with the position, prioritize those experiences on your resume.
Can I include unpaid internships as volunteer work?
Absolutely! Unpaid internships offer valuable experience and skills that can greatly enhance your resume. Clearly define the roles and contributions to maximize their impact.