When compiling your resume, should you include volunteer work? This is a question that often arises for people who have done volunteer work, and there is no easy answer. Ultimately, the decision of whether to include volunteer work on your resume comes down to a few factors: how relevant the experience is to your current job goals, how much experience you have, and how well you can market the experience.
Relevance is key
The first factor to consider is how relevant the volunteer work is to your current job goals. If the skills you developed while volunteering are not related to the job you are seeking, there is little point in including it on your resume. However, if the skills are relevant, then you should definitely highlight them.
For example, if you are a recent graduate seeking a job in marketing, and you have volunteered your time to develop marketing skills, then you should definitely include that experience on your resume. However, if you are a recent graduate seeking a job in the medical field, your volunteer work as a hospital volunteer is probably not relevant and should not be included.
Experience is important
The second factor to consider is how much experience you have. If you have a lot of experience in the field you are seeking a job in, then including your volunteer work is a no-brainer. The experience you gained while volunteering will only make you look even more qualified for the job.
However, if you do not have a lot of experience, you may want to consider leaving your volunteer work off your resume. This is because hiring managers may be more likely to focus on your paid work experience rather than your volunteer work.
How to market the experience
The final factor to consider is how well you can market the experience. If you can spin the experience in a way that makes it look relevant and impressive, then go for it. For example, if you volunteered with a political campaign, you could highlight skills like teamwork, public speaking, and project management.
However, if you cannot market the experience in a positive light, it is probably best to leave it off your resume. In some cases, it may be better to list the experience in your cover letter instead of on your resume.
Ultimately, whether you include volunteer work on your resume comes down to a few factors: how relevant the experience is, how much experience you have, and how well you can market the experience. If the experience is relevant and you have a lot of experience, then you should definitely include it on your resume. If the experience is not relevant or you do not have a lot of experience, then you may want to consider leaving it off your resume.
How to list volunteer work on your resume
Volunteering can be a great way to gain experience and skills, and to make connections in your field. If you’re thinking about adding volunteer work to your resume, here are some tips to help you get started.
First, you’ll need to list your volunteer work on your resume.
This can be done in a number of ways, but the most common is to list it under your work experience. You can also list it under your education, or in a separate section called “Volunteer Experience.”
No matter how you list it, be sure to include the following information:
-The name of the organization
-The dates of your volunteer work
-The type of work you did
-Your job title
-The skills you developed
It’s also important to be specific about the skills you developed. For example, if you volunteered as a tutor, you might list “tutoring children” as a skill. If you volunteered with a nonprofit organization, you might list “nonprofit experience” as a skill.
Finally, be sure to highlight your accomplishments. For example, if you increased the fundraising for your organization by 25%, you might list that as an accomplishment.
Adding volunteer work to your resume can be a great way to stand out from the competition. By listing the information above, you’ll give potential employers a better idea of what you’ve done and the skills you’ve developed.
Where to put volunteer work on a resume
There are many different places to put volunteer work on a resume, depending on what the volunteer work was and what the resume is for.
If the volunteer work was related to the job for which the person is applying, it can be listed in the experience section of the resume. This is especially true if the person has no paid work experience in the field.
If the volunteer work was not related to the job, it can be listed under other experience, skills, or education.
If the volunteer work was very extensive, it might be better to make a separate resume section for it, called “Volunteer Work.” This can be especially helpful if the person is applying for a job that is not related to the volunteer work.
