Volunteer Section Guide

Your volunteer section demonstrates character, community involvement, and often showcases skills you may not have used professionally. It's particularly valuable when building experience or showing well-roundedness.

What to Include

For each volunteer role:

• Organization - Where you volunteered
• Role - Your title or position
• Start and end dates - Duration of involvement
• Highlights - Key contributions and achievements

Why Include Volunteer Experience

Shows Character

Employers value candidates who give back to their communities.

Demonstrates Skills

Volunteer work often involves skills that employers value:

• Leadership
• Project management
• Communication
• Problem-solving

Fills Gaps

Volunteer experience can:

• Bridge employment gaps
• Add experience for entry-level candidates
• Show activity during career transitions

Shows Passion

Related volunteer work demonstrates genuine interest in a field.

Tips by Experience Level

Entry-Level / Students

Volunteer experience can be as valuable as work experience:

Include:

• Significant volunteer roles
• Leadership positions in organizations
• Long-term commitments
• Skill-building experiences

Example: Habitat for Humanity | Team Lead | 2022-2024

• Led team of 15 volunteers on weekend build projects
• Coordinated logistics for 20+ build days
• Trained 50+ new volunteers on safety and construction basics
• Helped complete 5 homes for families in need

Mid-Level (3-7 years)

Focus on volunteer work that shows leadership or relevant skills:

Include:

• Board positions
• Committee leadership
• Skills-based volunteering
• Industry-related involvement

Example: Local Nonprofit | Board Member & Marketing Committee Chair | 2021-Present

• Lead marketing committee of 5 volunteers; oversee brand strategy
• Launched social media presence that grew to 5,000 followers
• Organized annual fundraiser that raised $50,000
• Advise executive director on digital strategy

Senior-Level (8+ years)

Be selective - include only impactful volunteer work:

Include:

• Board positions at notable organizations
• Industry association involvement
• Mentorship programs
• High-impact pro bono work

Example: Industry Association | Board of Directors | 2020-Present

• Serve on board of 500-member professional association
• Chair annual conference attended by 1,000+ professionals
• Mentor 5 emerging professionals through association program

Career Changers

Use volunteer work to gain experience in your target field:

Include:

• Volunteer roles in target industry
• Skills-based volunteering related to new career
• Roles that demonstrate transferable abilities

Example (transitioning to nonprofit): Community Food Bank | Operations Volunteer | 2023-Present

• Assist with warehouse logistics and inventory management
• Help coordinate volunteer shifts (50+ volunteers weekly)
• Created tracking spreadsheet that improved distribution efficiency by 30%

Types of Volunteer Work to Highlight

Skills-Based Volunteering

Using professional skills to help organizations:

• Pro bono consulting
• Website design for nonprofits
• Financial planning for community organizations
• Marketing support for causes

Leadership Roles

Positions showing management abilities:

• Board member
• Committee chair
• Team leader
• Event organizer

Long-Term Commitments

Consistent involvement over time:

• Regular weekly volunteering
• Multi-year commitments
• Ongoing mentorship

Industry-Related

Volunteer work connected to your field:

• Teaching or tutoring in your specialty
• Industry association involvement
• Professional mentorship programs

How to Write Volunteer Descriptions

Use the same approach as work experience:

Action verb + What you did + Impact/Result

Strong: "Organized annual charity run that raised $25,000 for local hospital"

Weak: "Helped with charity event"

Quantify When Possible

• Hours contributed
• People served
• Money raised
• Volunteers managed
• Events organized

When to Include vs. Skip

Include Volunteer Section If:

• You have significant, relevant volunteer experience
• You're entry-level and need to demonstrate skills
• The volunteer work shows leadership or expertise
• It's related to your target role or industry
• You're filling employment gaps
• The employer values community involvement

Skip or Minimize If:

• Your work experience is strong and you need space
• Volunteer work is minimal or very old
• It doesn't add to your candidacy
• You're applying to roles where it's not valued

Formatting Volunteer Experience

Full Detail (Entry-level or significant roles)

Organization Name | Role | Dates

• Achievement or responsibility
• Achievement or responsibility
• Achievement or responsibility

Brief Format (Supporting roles)

Organization Name - Role (Dates) Brief description of involvement

Simple List (Multiple minor roles)

Volunteer Experience: Organization A - Role (Dates) Organization B - Role (Dates) Organization C - Role (Dates)

Special Situations

Religious or Political Organizations

Consider whether to include:

• Include if relevant and you're comfortable
• Focus on skills and achievements, not ideology
• Consider the employer's culture
• You can generalize: "Faith-based nonprofit" or "Community organization"

Controversial Causes

Use judgment:

• Consider the employer's values
• Focus on your role and skills
• You may choose to omit if concerned

One-Time Events

Include if significant:

• Marathon for charity
• Major fundraising event
• Crisis response volunteering

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Including every small volunteer act - Focus on significant involvement
• No quantification - Add numbers and impact
• Passive descriptions - Use active verbs
• Treating it differently than work - Apply same quality standards
• Including only to fill space - Every entry should add value

Pro Tips

• Treat volunteer experience with the same seriousness as work experience
• Highlight leadership and measurable achievements
• Connect volunteer skills to job requirements
• Update volunteer section as your work experience grows
• Consider removing old volunteer work as you gain professional experience

Next Steps

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