How to Highlight Volunteer Work on Your Resume

Volunteer work is an excellent way to demonstrate your skills, commitment, and values, especially when you're looking to land a new job or pivot to a different industry. Whether you're just starting your career, reentering the workforce, or looking to make a career change, including your volunteer experience on your resume can make you stand out to hiring managers. Here's how to effectively highlight volunteer work on your resume and make it a compelling part of your professional story.

1. Identify Relevant Volunteer Work The first step is to identify volunteer experiences that are relevant to the job you're applying for. Volunteer work can provide transferable skills, showcase your leadership potential, and highlight your personal values.

Select experience that aligns with the job: If you’re applying for a marketing position, highlight any volunteer work where you managed events or created marketing materials. For a teaching role, emphasize tutoring or mentoring experience.
Choose leadership roles: If you held leadership positions, such as organizing a fundraiser or leading a team, make sure to highlight these roles as they demonstrate initiative and management skills.

1. Create a Separate Section for Volunteer Work If you have significant volunteer experience, consider creating a dedicated section on your resume. This section can be titled "Volunteer Experience" or "Community Involvement."

List the most relevant volunteer positions: Start with your most recent volunteer roles, and include key responsibilities and accomplishments. Treat this section similarly to your professional work experience, using bullet points to clearly convey your contributions.
Be concise but descriptive: You want to provide enough detail for hiring managers to understand your role, but you don’t need to go into as much detail as you would for a paid position.

1. Showcase Skills and Achievements Volunteer work is valuable because it can demonstrate many skills that hiring managers look for, such as communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving.

Use action verbs: When describing your volunteer roles, use strong action verbs like "led," "organized," "coordinated," "mentored," and "developed." This conveys a sense of ownership and impact.
Quantify your contributions: Whenever possible, include numbers or percentages to quantify your achievements. For example, "Led a team of 10 volunteers to organize a charity event that raised $5,000."
Focus on results: Highlight the impact of your volunteer work. If you were part of a team that increased donations or community engagement, be sure to mention it.

1. Incorporate Volunteer Experience Into Your Professional Experience If your volunteer work is closely tied to your professional skills or directly complements your job history, consider incorporating it into your professional experience section.

Blend your volunteer and professional experiences: For example, if you volunteered as a project manager for a non-profit, include it under your job history with a note that it was a volunteer role. This makes it clear that you’re using your professional skills in various capacities, even outside of paid positions.

1. Tailor Volunteer Work to Fit the Job Just as you tailor your resume to the job you're applying for, be sure to tailor the volunteer work you highlight based on the position. If the job requires strong communication skills, emphasize any volunteer work where you engaged with clients, wrote content, or presented information.

Customize your resume for each job: If you're applying for a leadership role, emphasize volunteer work where you took on leadership responsibilities. For customer service roles, highlight volunteer experiences where you assisted others or provided customer support.
Use industry-specific keywords: Incorporate keywords from the job description into your volunteer work section to ensure your resume is noticed by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and recruiters.

1. Don’t Forget About Remote or Virtual Volunteer Work In today’s digital age, virtual volunteer work is just as valuable as in-person experience. If you have volunteered remotely, include the position on your resume, along with any relevant skills you developed, such as remote communication, digital project management, or online fundraising.

Be specific about virtual tasks: If your role was online, mention the tools and platforms you used. For instance, you could list software like Zoom, Slack, or social media tools if you managed online campaigns or communications.

1. Include Volunteer Work on Your LinkedIn Profile Your LinkedIn profile is another place where you can highlight your volunteer experience. Adding volunteer roles can help potential employers get a fuller picture of who you are.

LinkedIn has a dedicated volunteer section: This allows you to list your volunteer roles separately from your job experience, but still prominently on your profile.
Use your LinkedIn profile to tell your story: The summary section on LinkedIn gives you space to elaborate on your passion for volunteer work and how it aligns with your career goals.

1. Seek Professional Resume Help If you're unsure how to position your volunteer work or how to make it stand out, consider professional help. Expert resume writers can help you present your volunteer experience in the best possible light, making sure it highlights your strengths and aligns with your career objectives. Visit Resume Writing Services for more assistance in crafting a professional resume that effectively incorporates volunteer work.

Conclusion
Volunteer work is a powerful way to demonstrate your skills, passion, and commitment to potential employers. Whether you're just starting your career, looking to transition into a new industry, or reentering the workforce, including volunteer experience on your resume can help you stand out. By strategically showcasing your volunteer work, emphasizing relevant skills, and tailoring it to each job, you can make a lasting impression on hiring managers and recruiters.