You might have done several voluntary activities during school breaks or employment gaps to find something useful to do, or you simply want to help a cause that is close to your heart. Whatever your reason is, doing volunteer work is good for you! Not only it makes you feel good about yourself, it can also help you advance in your career growth.
Yes, putting your volunteer work on your resume can impress your hiring managers, but doing it wrong can turn their off too. Learn how you could leverage your volunteer work on your resume.
What it implies
Volunteer work, if presented correctly, will show an employer that you are willing to try new experiences, be involved in your community and generally demonstrate a willingness to take initiative and make things happen. Many companies would appreciate a spirit of "giving back" which you display by doing volunteer work or community service.
Your good deed as a volunteer can definitely give you a competitive advantage. For example, an involvement in event planning for a local charity 5 years in a row not only shows that you are experienced in event planning, but you are also passionate about it; otherwise you wouldn't have done it for free. If you were an employer looking for someone who is willing to organize a company event, would you hire yourself? Definitely!
Besides letting the employers know about the useful skills you possess, listing voluntary experience will also show that you have deeper knowledge and true passion about a particular industry; especially if it is an industry you're aiming to work in. For example, if you are studying Physiology, stating your voluntary activity as information desk assistant at a local hospital implies that you are already familiar with hospital environment, unlike other job applicants who have no idea how working in the hospital would be like. Then, all other things being equal, you are more likely to be hired!
How to do it right
If you are a fresh graduate with no work experience, you should emphasize your volunteer work. Instead of putting it under the section "Voluntary Activity" at the bottom of the resume, an inexperienced job seeker like you can incorporate volunteer work in the regular experience section. Treat the experience as if it were a paid job – list the organization's name, location, your functional title, dates and accomplishments. However, be sure to indicate your volunteer status in the description or next to the title.
What's important when presenting your volunteer work on your resume is to highlight important and favorable attributes you gained through your voluntary work period. For example, you can mention how your tasks improve your communication, leadership and planning skills, while showing that you are adaptable and self-motivated.
Often times, you might get carried away and start loading your resume with every single good deed. But a long list of unrelated experiences might hide your true accomplishments or divert employers' attention. Worse still, you could end up embarrassed if the interviewer asks about something and you can't speak about it in-depth. So, when you have rich voluntary experience, it's always best to stick with up-to-date, longer and deeper involvement which gives you useful skills or knowledge about a particular industry. After all, it's a personal choice to include your volunteer work, and your decision may vary depending on what you want to highlight about yourself and where you are applying.
Showcase your best traits
Putting various voluntary experiences in your resume is only one of the ways you can add value to it. In this competitive era, it would take a lot to succeed in the job race. Learn how you could showcase your best traits and make yourself as appealing as possible to your prospective employers!
Sometimes, other people would be better able to see your best traits and present them clearer in your resume. So why not multiply your chance by hiring a professional resume writer? Stop worrying about whether or not you will get the job and worry about what to do with your first paycheck!
Yes, putting your volunteer work on your resume can impress your hiring managers, but doing it wrong can turn their off too. Learn how you could leverage your volunteer work on your resume.
What it implies
Volunteer work, if presented correctly, will show an employer that you are willing to try new experiences, be involved in your community and generally demonstrate a willingness to take initiative and make things happen. Many companies would appreciate a spirit of "giving back" which you display by doing volunteer work or community service.
Your good deed as a volunteer can definitely give you a competitive advantage. For example, an involvement in event planning for a local charity 5 years in a row not only shows that you are experienced in event planning, but you are also passionate about it; otherwise you wouldn't have done it for free. If you were an employer looking for someone who is willing to organize a company event, would you hire yourself? Definitely!
Besides letting the employers know about the useful skills you possess, listing voluntary experience will also show that you have deeper knowledge and true passion about a particular industry; especially if it is an industry you're aiming to work in. For example, if you are studying Physiology, stating your voluntary activity as information desk assistant at a local hospital implies that you are already familiar with hospital environment, unlike other job applicants who have no idea how working in the hospital would be like. Then, all other things being equal, you are more likely to be hired!
How to do it right
If you are a fresh graduate with no work experience, you should emphasize your volunteer work. Instead of putting it under the section "Voluntary Activity" at the bottom of the resume, an inexperienced job seeker like you can incorporate volunteer work in the regular experience section. Treat the experience as if it were a paid job – list the organization's name, location, your functional title, dates and accomplishments. However, be sure to indicate your volunteer status in the description or next to the title.
What's important when presenting your volunteer work on your resume is to highlight important and favorable attributes you gained through your voluntary work period. For example, you can mention how your tasks improve your communication, leadership and planning skills, while showing that you are adaptable and self-motivated.
Often times, you might get carried away and start loading your resume with every single good deed. But a long list of unrelated experiences might hide your true accomplishments or divert employers' attention. Worse still, you could end up embarrassed if the interviewer asks about something and you can't speak about it in-depth. So, when you have rich voluntary experience, it's always best to stick with up-to-date, longer and deeper involvement which gives you useful skills or knowledge about a particular industry. After all, it's a personal choice to include your volunteer work, and your decision may vary depending on what you want to highlight about yourself and where you are applying.
Showcase your best traits
Putting various voluntary experiences in your resume is only one of the ways you can add value to it. In this competitive era, it would take a lot to succeed in the job race. Learn how you could showcase your best traits and make yourself as appealing as possible to your prospective employers!
Sometimes, other people would be better able to see your best traits and present them clearer in your resume. So why not multiply your chance by hiring a professional resume writer? Stop worrying about whether or not you will get the job and worry about what to do with your first paycheck!
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