Is it acceptable to put volunteer work on your resume when you’re applying for jobs? It certainly can be, especially in certain situations. So, what’s the best way to add volunteering and where should you list it? Read on to learn how to include volunteer work on your resume.
Volunteer work can be an excellent way to showcase key skills such as event planning, fundraising, or problem-solving and should certainly be integrated with other work experiences on your resume.
How to Include Volunteering on Your Resume
Including volunteer work on your resume is an especially important tactic if:
- You are a recent college graduate with limited professional experience;
- If you have taken a significant amount of time away from the workplace to raise young children or to care for a sick family member; or
- You have experienced a lengthy period of unemployment due to a depressed economy in your state or region.
How can you incorporate your volunteer experience into your resume to gain the maximum benefit? The answer will depend, to some degree, on how related your volunteer experience is to your career target.
Related Volunteer Work
Related volunteer work can be combined with related work experience under a category heading like “Related Experience.” If the volunteer work demonstrates a critical skill area, then it could be placed within a category with a functional heading like “Fundraising Experience” or “Event Planning Experience.”
In either case, the volunteer experience should be listed just like a job with a title that captures the essence of your role and a description which highlights skills applied and any accomplishments.
As you list your accomplishments, it is also a good idea to quantify these contributions with tangible numbers (dollar amounts) or percentages.
Here’s an example:
Fundraising Experience
Volunteer Fundraiser, The United Way, Montclair, NJ, Fall 2017 to Present
- Recruited, coordinated, and trained 14 volunteer fundraisers.
- Planned and promoted three successful fundraising events including a silent auction, dinner, and concert which generated over $80,000 in pledges.
- Increased contributions by 25% over the previous campaign.
Unrelated Volunteer Work
If the volunteer work is unrelated to your job goal, you can incorporate it under a separate category like “Community Service” or “Volunteer Work.” Most organizations look favorably upon staff who contribute in a positive way to the surrounding community — not only does it reflect well on the company, but volunteering can be an opportunity for staff to network with potential new clients for the organization.
Here’s an example of how to include volunteer work on your resume when it isn’t directly related to your career or industry:
Volunteer Experience
Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity, Birmingham, AL, Fall 2016 to Present
- Coordinated and led work parties that constructed 15 homes for low income families in need of housing.
- Conceptualized and successfully launched an initiative that collected contributions of gently used furniture and other household items to sell in the Habitat Humanity store.
- Directed preparation of Labor Day parade float to increase community awareness of organization’s presence and contributions.
Volunteer Resume Example
Here’s an example of a resume that includes both work and volunteer experience:
William Applicant
123 Main Street • New York, NY 10036 • (123) 456–7890 • william.applicant@email.com
WEBSITE MANAGEMENT
Building and maintaining websites that increase traffic and revenue
Experienced web designer builds and maintains sites with professional and engaging content.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
TREMAINE AND MILLER COMMUNICATIONS, Sarasota, Fla.
WEB EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE (January 2018 — Present)
Skillfully facilitate design and maintenance of company’s website.
Notable accomplishments:
- Within 12 months of hiring, increased daily website visits by 50 percent.
- Sourced third-party provider of images that lowered costs by 15 percent.
DOLAN ASSOCIATES, Sarasota, Fla.
WEB ASSISTANT (June 2016 — January 2018)
Brought on board to optimize organization’s web presence and independently handled all website maintenance tasks, including content editing, photo editing, and publishing.
Notable accomplishments:
- Consistently completed webpage development projects within challenging production deadlines.
- Incorporated Ad Sense program to website that triggered a 30 percent increase in site revenues.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
SARASOTA ROWING ASSOCIATION (January 2015 — Present)
Leverage professional expertise to design and maintain organization’s first-ever website.
RESCUE OUR STRAYS (July 2015 — Present)
Ensure quality creation and timely distribution of newsletter and email communications with staff, volunteers, and applicants; oversee and manage website.
EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, Gainesville, Fla.
Bachelor of Arts in English literature, 2016
Are you looking to Volunteer?
Not only is volunteering good for your community, but it also has the potential to benefit your career. A volunteer position can be a networking opportunity, help you sharpen your skills, and serve as a low-risk way to explore a new industry. If you’re interested in volunteering, explore this guide to finding volunteer opportunities online.
