how to include volunteer experience on resume

30 Examples: How To List Volunteer Work on a Resume

By Status.net Editorial Team on April 26, 2024 — 10 minutes to read

Volunteering is a great way to acquire new skills, network with professionals, and make a difference in your community. When it comes time to update your resume, incorporating your volunteer experiences may give you a competitive edge. The key is to present your volunteer experience in a manner that highlights the relevant skills you’ve gained and what you’ve accomplished.

Begin by examining the volunteer work you’ve done and identifying the skills that would be most applicable to the job you’re seeking. For example, if you volunteered at an animal shelter, you might have developed strong communication and teamwork skills while coordinating with other volunteers and shelter employees. Or, if you volunteered as a tutor, you could highlight your ability to effectively teach complex subjects and demonstrate expert problem-solving skills.

Identifying Your Volunteer Experiences

Start by making a list of all your volunteer activities, including the organization, your role and responsibilities, and the length of time you were involved. For example:

• Nonprofit Organization A – Volunteer Coordinator (6 months)
• Community Event B – Event Volunteer (one-time event)
• Local Animal Shelter C – Dog Walker (3 months)

As you review your list, consider the skills and knowledge you gained from each experience. This could be anything from project management to customer service or even special skills like event planning or social media promotion.

Next, prioritize your experiences by relevance for the job you’re applying for. This means considering which volunteer activities showcase the most important skills, expertise, and qualities that the employer is looking for. After you’ve identified the most relevant volunteer experiences, it’s time to think about how to present them on your resume. One effective approach is to include a dedicated volunteer work section, ideally located near your professional experience section. This allows you to highlight valuable skills and experiences while also demonstrating your commitment to giving back.

Where to Place Volunteer Work on Your Resume

Main experience section.

Consider placing volunteer work in your main experience section if it relates closely to the job you’re applying for. For example, if you have volunteered at an animal shelter and are applying for a position as a veterinarian assistant, it would be relevant to include this experience with your professional work history.

When listing volunteer work in the main experience section, it should be formatted similarly to your regular employment:

• Organization Name, City, State
• Your role/job title
• Duration (Month Year – Month Year)
• Key accomplishments or responsibilities (use bullet points to make these easier to read)

Separate Volunteer Section

If your volunteer work is not directly related to the job you’re applying for, or if you already have extensive relevant employment experience, it might be more appropriate to create a separate volunteer section on your resume. This section should come after your main experience section, but before the education and skills sections.

In the separate volunteer section, you can still emphasize how these experiences contributed to your personal and professional growth. List your volunteer experiences by following the same format as the main experience section.

Volunteer Work on a Resume: 30 Examples

1. Community Service Volunteer – Organized weekly community clean-up events, managing teams of 20+ volunteers – Coordinated with local businesses for resource contributions

2. Hospital Volunteer – Provided companionship and support to patients, improving their hospital experience – Assisted nurses with non-medical tasks to enhance patient care

3. Animal Shelter Volunteer – Cared for and socialized animals to prepare them for adoption – Implemented a new system for tracking animal vaccinations and health records

4. Youth Mentor – Mentored a group of 10 high school students, providing academic and personal guidance – Developed and facilitated workshops on college readiness and career exploration

5. Event Planning Volunteer – Played a key role in organizing annual charity gala, raising over $50,000 – Managed logistics, including venue selection, catering, and guest list coordination

6. Environmental Conservation Volunteer – Participated in reforestation projects, planting over 1,000 trees – Educated the public on sustainability practices through workshops and presentations

7. Disaster Relief Volunteer – Assisted in rebuilding efforts after local flooding, contributing over 200 hours of service – Distributed food and supplies to affected families

8. Volunteer Tutor – Provided weekly math tutoring to underprivileged students, resulting in a 25% average grade improvement – Created personalized lesson plans and practice exercises

9. Food Bank Volunteer – Organized food drives that collected over 3 tons of food for the local community – Streamlined the food sorting process, increasing efficiency by 30%

10. Special Olympics Volunteer – Coached a team of 15 athletes, leading them to win gold in regional competitions – Coordinated travel and accommodations for team events

11. Habitat for Humanity Volunteer – Contributed to the construction of 5 homes for low-income families – Led a team of volunteers in framing and drywall installation

12. Volunteer Fundraiser – Spearheaded a crowdfunding campaign that raised $10,000 for a local animal rescue – Developed marketing materials and social media strategies to promote the campaign

13. Library Volunteer – Managed book inventory and assisted patrons with locating resources – Organized weekly storytime sessions for children, fostering a love of reading

14. Crisis Hotline Volunteer – Provided empathetic support to individuals in crisis, contributing to a 20% increase in positive outcomes – Completed 60 hours of specialized training in crisis intervention techniques

15. ESL (English as a Second Language) Volunteer Teacher – Taught English to adult learners, helping 30+ students achieve conversational proficiency – Developed culturally sensitive teaching materials

16. Nonprofit Board Member – Served on the board of a local nonprofit focused on youth development – Participated in strategic planning and fundraising efforts

17. Volunteer Translator – Provided translation services for a community health center, improving access for non-English speakers – Translated over 200 pages of health education materials

18. Legal Aid Volunteer – Assisted in providing free legal services to low-income individuals – Conducted legal research and prepared case documents under attorney supervision

19. Volunteer Web Developer – Designed and maintained the website for a local charity, increasing online donations by 40% – Implemented SEO best practices to enhance the site’s visibility

20. Art Program Volunteer – Facilitated art workshops at a community center, inspiring creativity in 50+ participants – Curated a successful art exhibit showcasing local talent

21. Senior Center Volunteer – Organized social activities and outings for seniors, improving community engagement – Provided tech support, helping seniors connect with their families online

22. Volunteer Coach – Coached a youth soccer team, emphasizing teamwork and sportsmanship – Organized fundraising events to support team equipment and travel expenses

23. Public Health Volunteer – Supported public health campaigns by distributing educational materials and organizing community events – Conducted surveys to assess the impact of health initiatives

24. Music Therapy Volunteer – Performed weekly music sessions at a local hospital to enhance patient well-being – Collaborated with therapists to tailor sessions to individual patient needs

25. Museum Docent – Led educational tours, engaging visitors with the museum’s exhibits – Assisted in the development of new exhibit materials and interactive displays

26. International Volunteer – Taught English and basic computer skills in a rural community abroad – Assisted with the development of a local microfinance program

27. Volunteer Social Media Coordinator – Managed social media accounts for a nonprofit, growing the follower base by 500% – Created engaging content that increased audience interaction

28. Literacy Advocate Volunteer – Participated in reading programs at local schools, helping to improve literacy rates – Organized book donation drives to provide resources for underfunded libraries

29. Volunteer Research Assistant – Supported a university research project by collecting and analyzing data – Co-authored a paper on the project’s findings, which was published in a peer-reviewed journal

30. Homeless Shelter Volunteer – Assisted with daily operations at a shelter, providing meals and support to residents – Developed a job search workshop to help residents gain employment

How to Describe Your Volunteer Work

Use action verbs.

It’s important to use action verbs to describe your duties and accomplishments in your volunteer work. This helps create a strong impression on the reader and showcase your proactive nature.

Examples of strong action verbs:

• Collaborated
• Implemented
• Coordinated
• Facilitated

Quantify Your Impact

When describing your volunteer work, try to quantify your impact whenever possible. This helps provide more context and shows the impact of your contributions.

• Coordinated a team of 15 volunteers
• Raised $5,000 for a local charity
• Organized a charity event with over 200 attendees
• Contributed 120 hours of tutoring
• Assisted in the construction of three homes for low-income families
• Led a group of ten in weekly park cleanups
• Mentored 50 students in an after-school program
• Facilitated team-building exercises for 100 employees
• Developed and implemented a new training curriculum
• Served meals to over 500 people in need

Tailoring Your Volunteer Experience to the Job Description

Emphasize the relevant skills you gained during your volunteer experiences by relating them to the job you’re applying for. This helps demonstrate how your volunteer work has prepared you for the position.

• Improved interpersonal communication through tutoring sessions
• Developed leadership abilities as a team coordinator
• Strengthened problem-solving skills as a volunteer mediator
• Enhanced project management abilities by organizing events
• Acquired customer service experience through volunteer receptionist duties
• Gained public speaking skills through community outreach presentations
• Developed multitasking abilities in a busy office setting
• Improved teamwork skills through group collaborations
• Enhanced negotiation skills through sales fundraising efforts
• Strengthened event planning skills by leading committee meetings

Carefully read the job description and make note of the key requirements and skills the employer is looking for. You can then try to match these with your volunteer experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some ways to present volunteer work on my resume.

You can present volunteer work on your resume in a few different ways, depending on how closely it relates to your desired job and how much experience you have. For example,

• Create a separate Volunteer Work section: This approach is suitable if your volunteer experience is not directly related to your career goals but still demonstrates relevant skills and responsibilities.
• Include volunteer work within your Professional Experience section: If your volunteer experience aligns with your career goals or if you have minimal professional experience, present it alongside your paid positions.
• Highlight related volunteer work under your Skills section: If your volunteer experience helped you gain specific expertise, showcase those skills in your Skills section and mention the relevant volunteer work.

Can you provide a description for including volunteer experience in a resume?

When including volunteer experience in your resume, it’s important to provide details such as the organization’s name, your role or position, the dates you volunteered, and a brief description of your accomplishments and relevant responsibilities. For example:

Volunteer Work

• Provided tutoring in math and English to underprivileged high school students, resulting in improved grades of over 90% of participants.

How should a student with volunteer experience showcase it on their resume?

As a student with limited work experience, emphasizing your volunteer work can demonstrate your skills, initiative, and commitment to potential employers. You can:

• Include your volunteer work in a dedicated Volunteer Experience section, or even within your Work Experience section if it’s directly related to your career goals.
• Highlight key skills gained through your volunteer work in the Skills section, mentioning specific achievements where possible.
• If relevant, mention any leadership roles or significant responsibilities within your volunteer work.

In what manner can I detail my contributions in volunteer positions?

When detailing your contributions, focus on accomplishments and the impact you made through your volunteer work. To do this, use action verbs, quantify results, and emphasize outcomes. For example:

• Organized an annual charity event that raised over $10,000 for children’s educational resources, resulting in a 20% increase in funds compared to the previous year.

Is it beneficial to describe volunteer activities in a resume, and if so, how?

Yes, describing volunteer activities in a resume can be beneficial as it showcases your transferable skills, commitment to the community, and ability to collaborate. To describe your activities effectively:

• Focus on any tasks that demonstrate relevant skills for the position you are applying for.
• Be specific in describing your role, responsibilities, and accomplishments.
• If possible, quantify the impact of your activities, e.g., dollars raised, number of attendees, or percentage improvements.

Are there any specific words or phrases that effectively convey volunteer experiences?

To effectively convey your volunteer experiences, use action verbs and descriptive language that highlights your accomplishments and transferable skills. Examples:

These words can show potential employers that you were actively engaged in your volunteer work and achieved meaningful results.

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Volunteer Experience on Your Resume: Examples for 2024

If you are looking for a way to stand out on your resume or show that you are more than just your work experience, volunteer experience is a great place to start. In this article, we will define volunteer experience, discuss its importance in a resume, and provide examples of how to incorporate it effectively.

Volunteer experience is any work that is done willingly and without pay to help a person or organization outside of one’s family. This can include traditional volunteer work like serving at a soup kitchen or volunteering at a non-profit organization’s fundraising event, as well as other activities such as coaching a youth sports team, running a community garden, or participating in a beach cleanup.

Importance of Volunteer Experience in a Resume

While work experience is important, volunteer experience can show a potential employer that you have more to offer than just the skills required for a specific job. It can demonstrate that you are passionate about a cause, have leadership skills, are a team player, and are willing to take the initiative to make things happen. Additionally, volunteer work can help fill gaps in your work history or show that you have been actively involved in your community during times of unemployment.

Types of Volunteer Experience

When it comes to volunteering, there are multiple ways to get involved and contribute your time and skills. Here are some of the most common types of volunteer experience:

Direct Service Volunteer

Direct service volunteering involves hands-on work that directly impacts the people or cause served by the organization. Examples of direct service volunteering include serving meals at a homeless shelter, tutoring students, or providing care for animals at a shelter.

Volunteering in direct service roles allows you to see the impact of your work firsthand and gain valuable skills in working with people or tasks.

Indirect Service Volunteer

Indirect service volunteering refers to tasks that support the organization performing its mission, but do not involve direct interaction with the people or causes served. Examples of indirect service volunteering include data entry, mailings, or event planning.

Indirect service roles are crucial for the smooth operation of an organization and allow volunteers to contribute their skills and time in a way that suits their strengths.

Virtual Volunteer

Virtual volunteering allows individuals to contribute their time and skills remotely, through online platforms or digital platforms. Examples of virtual volunteering include data entry, social media management or writing.

Virtual volunteering options have increased in recent years due to technology advancements and allow volunteers to contribute their time and skills to organizations from anywhere in the world.

Volunteer Leadership

Volunteer leadership roles involve managing other volunteers and can include overseeing volunteer programs, organizing events, and coordinating efforts between volunteers and staff.

Volunteer leadership roles are crucial for the successful management of volunteers and require strong organizational and leadership skills.

Board Member

Board members provide leadership and governance for the organization, which includes making major decisions on the organization’s behalf, managing finances, and hiring staff.

Being a board member requires significant time commitment and leadership skills, and is often a high-level volunteer role for experienced professionals.

Understanding the different types of volunteer experience available can provide insights into the best way to contribute to an organization, and can also help you showcase your skills and experiences to potential employers when crafting a resume.

Incorporating Volunteer Experience on Your Resume

Volunteer experience can add depth and demonstrate your commitment to community involvement and social responsibility. Including volunteer experience on your resume is a great way to showcase your skills and interests outside of paid employment.

Where to Place Volunteer Experience on Your Resume

Volunteer experience can be included in the work experience section or in a separate section dedicated to volunteerism. If the volunteer work is relevant to the position you are applying for, it is best to include it in the work experience section. However, if the volunteer work is not directly related to the position, it can be listed separately in a Volunteer section.

How to Highlight Volunteer Experience on Your Resume

It is essential to highlight your volunteer experience effectively. When presenting your volunteer experience, include the name of the organization or group, the length of time you served, and the position you held. Use bullet points to describe the responsibilities you had and any accomplishments you achieved while volunteering. Be descriptive and quantify your achievements, linking them to concrete results.

How to Quantify Volunteer Experience on Your Resume

Quantifying your volunteer experience is crucial. It is not enough to state that you volunteered for a certain number of hours or held a specific position; you need to describe how you contributed to the organization’s progress or success. For instance, if you raised funds, specify how much you raised, and if you led a team, indicate how many team members you oversaw.

Here are some examples of quantifying volunteer experience:

Raised $5,000 for a local food bank in a month-long fundraising campaign.

Supervised and trained a team of eight volunteers, resulting in a 30% reduction in errors and increased efficiency.

Coordinated and executed 10 community outreach events, involving more than 200 volunteers and reaching over 2,000 participants.

By quantifying your volunteer experience, you are providing concrete evidence of your contribution and commitment, which will make you a more attractive candidate to potential employers.

Incorporating volunteer experience on your resume can add value and demonstrate that you have a broader range of skills and interests. It is important to present your volunteer experience effectively by including it in the right section, describing your achievements in bullet points, and quantifying your impact.

Examples of How to Include Volunteer Experience on Your Resume

Volunteer experience is an excellent way to showcase your skills and demonstrate your commitment to giving back to the community. It can also help you stand out among other candidates when applying for a job. In this section, we will provide examples of how to include volunteer experience on your resume, tailored for different career stages.

Example 1: Entry-Level Candidate

If you are just starting your career, you may not have much work experience to showcase on your resume. However, you can highlight your volunteer work to demonstrate your transferable skills and passion for making a difference.

Here’s how to include volunteer experience on your resume as an entry-level candidate:

Include a volunteer section:  Create a separate section on your resume for your volunteer experience. This will make it easy for the hiring manager to see your involvement in the community.

Focus on transferable skills:  Highlight the skills you developed through volunteering that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. For example, if you volunteered at a non-profit organization, you may have gained skills in event planning, fundraising, or social media management.

Quantify your impact:  Use numbers and figures to showcase the impact you made through your volunteer work. For instance, if you organized a fundraising event, you could mention the total amount of funds raised or the number of attendees.

Volunteer Experience

• Organized and executed a successful fundraising event that raised over $10,000 for the organization
• Managed social media accounts and increased followers by 30%
• Coordinated volunteer efforts and recruited 15 volunteers for various events

Example 2: Mid-Career Professional

As a mid-career professional, you likely have more work experience to showcase on your resume. However, you can still leverage your volunteer work to demonstrate your leadership skills and community involvement.

Here’s how to include volunteer experience on your resume as a mid-career professional:

Include a community involvement section:  Create a separate section on your resume to showcase your community involvement, including volunteer work, board membership, or pro-bono consulting.

Emphasize leadership roles:  Highlight any leadership roles you had in your volunteer work, such as serving as a board member, committee chair, or team leader.

Connect the dots:  Explain how your volunteer experience has prepared you for the job you’re applying for. Be explicit about the transferable skills you developed, such as project management, communication, or event planning. Volunteering can bring about numerous benefits that extend beyond helping others. It is a fulfilling activity that can help individuals gain a variety of skills that can be used in different areas of their lives. When it comes to adding volunteer experience to your resume, it’s essential to highlight the skills gained through such experience. Here are some of the skills you can acquire through volunteering:

Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are those abilities that can be applied to different jobs and settings. Volunteering can help individuals develop transferable skills that can be utilized in various professional and personal contexts. Some examples of transferable skills you can acquire through volunteering include:

• Time management: Volunteering requires planning to ensure that tasks are completed on time, regardless of how busy your schedule is.
• Communication skills: Volunteering provides opportunities to engage and work with people from different backgrounds and abilities, enhancing your communication skills.
• Adaptability: When volunteering, it’s crucial to be able to adapt to different situations, such as unexpected changes or challenges.
• Leadership skills: Depending on the volunteer role you take on, you may have the chance to lead group activities or manage people. Such experiences can help strengthen your leadership skills.

Niche Skills

Niche skills, also known as specialist skills, are relevant to specific professions or industries. Volunteering can afford individuals the chance to develop these skills or build on existing ones in a particular field. Here are some examples of niche skills that you can learn through volunteering:

• Event planning: Volunteering for events, such as charity galas, can provide opportunities to learn and develop event planning skills, such as managing budgets, scheduling, and coordinating with vendors.
• Fundraising skills: Volunteers in non-profit organizations can gain fundraising skills, such as donor prospecting, creating fundraising goals and strategies, and managing donor databases.
• Non-profit management skills: Volunteering in non-profit organizations can offer valuable exposure to non-profit management, including volunteer management, program development, and organizational operations.

Soft Skills

Soft skills, also known as interpersonal or emotional intelligence skills, are necessary social and emotional competencies that can help individuals interact effectively with others. Volunteering can enhance and develop soft skills, including:

• Empathy: Volunteering can help individuals build empathy and a deeper understanding of the struggles and challenges that others face, which can enhance their ability to relate to and communicate with others.
• Teamwork: Volunteering often involves working in teams, which can help develop collaborative and cooperative skills.
• Conflict resolution: Volunteering can provide opportunities to learn conflict resolution and problem-solving skills through diffusing disagreements and finding solutions that work for everyone.
• Patience: Volunteering can help cultivate patience, especially when working with individuals from different backgrounds with varying abilities or needs.

Volunteering is an enriching activity that provides immense opportunities to develop diverse skills that can boost both personal and professional growth.

Benefits of Volunteer Experience on Your Resume

Volunteer experience is not only a selfless act of giving back to the community, but it can also enhance your resume and increase your chances of being hired. Here are some benefits of including volunteer work on your resume:

Increased Employability

Volunteering shows your dedication and commitment to a cause, which translates into a positive work ethic. Employers appreciate individuals who have a track record of being dependable and passionate about what they do. Also, volunteering provides an opportunity to network with professionals in your industry or field of interest, which can lead to potential job opportunities or referrals.

Demonstrates Passion

In many cases, volunteer work is a reflection of your personal interests, values and passions. When you include it on your resume, it shows potential employers that you are more than just a set of skills and job experiences. You are a well-rounded individual who cares about things beyond the workplace. Your volunteer experience can also provide talking points during job interviews, allowing you to demonstrate your personality and character traits.

Highlights Transferable Skills

Volunteering often requires you to work with others towards a common goal, communicate effectively, manage your time, and take initiative. These are valuable transferable skills that can be applied to any job or industry. When you include your volunteer experience on your resume, you are showing employers that you possess these skills and that you are capable of working in a team-oriented environment.

Volunteering can provide many benefits when included on your resume. Not only does it show increased employability, it also demonstrates passion and highlights transferable skills. When employers see that you have volunteered, they may view you as a more well-rounded and desirable candidate. So, don’t shy away from including your volunteer experience on your resume – it could be the key to landing your dream job!

Common Questions About Volunteer Experience on a Resume

Volunteer experience can make a significant difference in your resume, especially if you have limited professional experience. However, knowing how to include it can be challenging. Here are some common questions about volunteer experience on a resume and how to make the most of it.

How to Include Volunteer Experience on a Resume with Limited Professional Experience?

If you are starting your career or changing fields, showcasing your volunteer experience can help you stand out. You can add a section called “Volunteer Experience” or “Community Involvement” to your resume and list your volunteer work. Another option is to integrate it into your work experience section by highlighting the transferable skills you gained from your volunteer experience that align with the job you are applying for.

When listing your volunteer experience, make sure to include the organization’s name, your role, dates, and a brief description of your responsibilities and accomplishments. Highlight the skills and achievements that can transfer to the job you’re applying for. Quantify your accomplishments and provide tangible examples.

Should You List Volunteer Experience Chronologically or Reverse Chronologically?

Listing your volunteer experience chronologically means listing them in the order you participated, beginning from the most recently completed volunteer activity. In contrast, reverse chronological order means listing your volunteer work starting from your earliest experience and ending with your latest.

The best way to list your volunteer experience depends on how relevant it is to the job you’re applying for. If your volunteer experience is more recent and matches the job requirements, list it in reverse chronological order. However, if your volunteer activity was several years ago, and your work experience is more relevant, list it chronologically.

Does Volunteer Experience Have to be Relevant to the Job You’re Applying For?

While it’s best to focus on experiences relevant to the job you’re applying for, volunteer experience does not always have to be directly relevant. Volunteer experience can demonstrate different soft skills, such as teamwork, leadership, and communication, which can be valuable in various industries.

However, if your volunteer experience is not directly relevant, it’s essential to highlight the transferable skills and how they relate to the job you’re applying for. By doing so, you can showcase how your volunteer experience can translate into valuable skills for the position.

Volunteer experience can enhance your resume, even with limited professional experience. Make sure to include it in a clear and concise way, highlighting your accomplishments and transferable skills. By doing so, you can demonstrate your commitment to your community and showcase the skills that make you a valuable asset to any employer.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Including Volunteer Experience on Your Resume

When it comes to including volunteer experience on your resume, there are a few common mistakes you want to avoid:

Making Volunteer Experience Too Long : While it’s important to showcase your volunteer experience on your resume, it’s also important to remember that hiring managers often have limited time to review resumes. Therefore, make sure that you summarize your volunteer experience concisely.

Only Focusing on Duties and Responsibilities : When listing your volunteer experience, it’s easy to get caught up in listing out all of your duties and responsibilities. However, it’s important to also highlight the impact you made while volunteering. Use specific examples to show how your volunteer work made a difference.

Not Explaining the Impact : Your volunteer experience can be a powerful asset when it comes to standing out to potential employers. However, if you don’t explain the impact you made while volunteering, it can be difficult for hiring managers to understand the value you bring to the table.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can ensure that your volunteer experience is presented in the best light possible and makes a strong impression on potential employers.

Ways to Showcase Volunteer Experience Outside of Your Resume

In today’s job market, simply listing your previous job experiences might not be enough to catch the recruiter’s attention. Employers are looking for candidates who possess qualities like leadership, team-working, problem-solving, and dedication. And what better way to demonstrate those qualities than through your volunteer experience?

However, some individuals might find it challenging to capture their volunteer work on their resume. Fortunately, there are various digital platforms that you can utilize to showcase your volunteer experience outside of your resume. Here are three ways you can do so:

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for professional networking, and it can help you create a strong online presence. Utilize LinkedIn to highlight your volunteer experience by adding it to your profile. This will make it easier for hiring managers to see your involvement and dedication to your community. Additionally, you can join groups related to your causes, which will lead to new connections and potential career opportunities.

Personal Website

Having a personal website that showcases your volunteer work can give you an edge in your job search. Use your website as a platform to tell your story, showcase pictures of your volunteering experience, and explain the impact that you’ve made in your community. Your site will not only demonstrate your dedication to contributing to society but will also give the interviewer a unique insight into who you are as a person.

Cover Letter

While your resume is your ticket to getting your foot in the door, your cover letter is where you can truly shine light on your volunteer experience. Use your cover letter to tell a story about your experiences, how it has affected you and how it integrates with the position you are applying for. In your cover letter, you can also take the chance to show your passion for the cause and how it aligns with the organization’s mission.

Volunteer work can be an indication of your willingness to go above and beyond to make a difference in your community. Using digital media platforms such as LinkedIn, your personal website and your cover letter are great ways to help you stand out and demonstrate your qualifications as a candidate. Highlighting your volunteer experience demonstrates not only your character but also sets you apart from others in a competitive job market.

Additional Tips for Incorporating Your Volunteer Experience into Your Job Search

If you’re looking to leverage your volunteer experience in your job search, there are a few additional steps you can take beyond simply listing it on your resume. Here are some tips for how to make the most of your volunteer work:

Network with Fellow Volunteers

One of the best ways to make your volunteer experience work for you in your job search is to network with other volunteers. Many of your fellow volunteers may be professionals in your industry or know people who are. By building relationships with them, you can expand your professional network and potentially find job leads.

To network effectively, be sure to attend volunteer events and functions, and make an effort to connect with other volunteers. Exchange contact information and follow up with them via email or LinkedIn after the event. Be clear about what you’re looking for and how your volunteer experience relates to your job search.

Mention Volunteer Experience During Your Interview

When you’re interviewing for a job, be sure to mention your volunteer experience. Rather than just listing it on your resume, describe it in more detail and explain how it has helped you develop skills relevant to the position you’re interviewing for. For example, if you volunteered with a nonprofit and helped organize fundraising events, you could describe how that experience developed your project management and event planning skills.

Make sure to tie your volunteer experience back to the job you’re interviewing for. This will show the interviewer that you understand the skills necessary for the position and that you are actively seeking ways to develop them.

Follow-Up and Mention Your Volunteer Experience

After the interview is over, be sure to follow-up with a thank you note. In this note, you can reiterate your interest in the position and briefly mention your volunteer experience again. This will help keep your volunteer work top-of-mind for the interviewer and show them that you are serious about incorporating it into your job search.

If you are not selected for the job, you can still keep the conversation going by mentioning your volunteer experience in your follow-up email. Thank the interviewer for their time and consideration, and reiterate your interest in the company. Mention that you would love to stay in touch and continue to learn about the organization’s efforts in the community. By doing so, you’ll maintain a positive relationship with the company and potentially open doors for future job opportunities.

Incorporating your volunteer experience into your job search can be a powerful way to demonstrate your skills and stand out from other candidates. By networking with fellow volunteers, mentioning your experience in your interview, and following up afterwards, you can make your volunteer work an integral part of your job search strategy.

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This Is Exactly How to List Volunteer Work on Your Resume

When it comes to writing or updating your resume, you know you should include your relevant work history, education , and technical skills .

But what about your volunteer experience? Will hiring managers even care about the time you spent building homes in Central America or organizing that charity walk?

I’ll make this one easy for you: yes!

You should absolutely include volunteer experience on your resume. It’ll help you stand out, make you seem like a real-life, three-dimensional person, and give the hiring manager a better idea of what makes you tick. Plus, as more and more companies begin to embrace social responsibility, job seekers with demonstrated interest and experience in community involvement are even more valuable.

Here’s the right way to add volunteer experience on your resume, in three easy steps.

1. Choose the Right Format

You’ll usually want to feature your most relevant professional experience at the top of your resume, which means your volunteer experience should go toward the bottom (after your professional experience, but before your education and skills section). Don’t worry too much about your volunteer work getting missed—most recruiters scan resumes, looking at section headers, job titles, employers, and tenure first, so they’ll likely notice a clearly-labeled volunteer experience section.

If it’s directly relevant to the job you’re applying for or you have limited professional experience, you can include your volunteer work with your paid positions. Just be sure that you’re labeling it clearly by including “volunteer” in the job title (for example, “Volunteer Social Media Manager”) or in the job description (for example, “Managed social media for an emerging nonprofit as an experienced volunteer”).

2. Keep it Concise (But Make it Count!)

Space will likely be limited in this section of your resume, so be selective with your content. Think about what’ll be the most impactful and relevant to the role or company you’re targeting. If you don’t have a lot of room to spare, you can summarize your work for each organization you’ve volunteered for in a single sentence:

Fundraising Volunteer | Non-Profit Organization | San Francisco, CA | March 2017

Sourced $2K in donations in a single month through a cold calling, door knocking, and email campaign.

Volunteer Pet Pal | Animal Shelter | New York, NY | November 2016-July 2017

Cared for 100+ shelter animals awaiting adoption, including dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, and a lizard.

If you have a little more room to work with, you can break your experience down into two to three bullet points , similar to the way you’d highlight a paid position.

3. Note the Exceptions

One minor, but important caveat: Volunteering for certain organizations may give away more personal information than you’re ready to share with a prospective employer.

For example, if you’re the vice president of the PTA, a recruiter will likely assume that you have children, while volunteering for a religious or political organization may reveal your spiritual or partisan beliefs. This could make you more vulnerable to unfair bias.

I know, it totally sucks. But, it is a reality (albeit a largely illegal one). So, you may want to consider leaving potentially-revealing volunteer work out.

Most recruiters only spend a few seconds scanning a resume before deciding whether to read on in more detail. Including an impactful volunteer experience section will help you to grab (and hold) a prospective employer’s attention.

Plus, chances are you really care about the organizations you’ve given your time to. So why not give them a little love?

How to Write a Volunteer Resume [+Example for 2024]

You’ve found something you believe in.

You want to help as much as you can.

But first, you need a resume that highlights your best attributes. 

Well, allow us to help you with this resume guide for all volunteers!

• A job-winning volunteer resume example
• How to create a volunteer resume that hiring managers love
• Volunteer-specific tips and tricks to make your resume stand out

Now, before we move on, here’s a volunteer resume example, created with our very own resume builder :

Follow the steps in this guide to create a job-winning resume of your own! 

How to Format a Volunteer Resume

Here’s a fact for you:

Your resume isn’t the only one on the recruiter’s desk.

In fact, they have a TON to get through, which is why recruiters tend to skim-read as they go through the pile of resumes.

This means you need to make your information clear and concise. 

You can do this by using the best resume format for volunteer resumes. 

The most common resume format is “ reverse-chronological ”, so we’d recommend this format for your resume…

There are two other popular formats that you could try:

• Functional Resume – Choose this format if you have many skills, but don’t have any real experience. Essentially, this format is ideal for volunteers who are seeking a role they have never held
• Combination Resume – As the name suggests, a combination resume is a combination of “Functional” and “Reverse-Chronological”. As such, this format is perfect for volunteers who have both skills and experience

Once you’ve decided on the format, you need to get your resume layout right.

For a professional resume layout, here’s what we recommend:

Margins - the margins are set automatically according to recruiters in the editor.

Font - Pick a font that stands out, but not too much. 

• Do: Ubuntu, Roboto, etc.
• Don’t: Comic Sans

Resume Length - Don’t go over the 1-page limit. If you’re having trouble fitting everything into one page? You may want to view these one-page resume templates .

Use a Volunteer Resume Template

You have a number of options when it comes to resume writing tools.

Now, Word may be your first choice, but we invite you to reconsider.

You see, building your own resume in a text-editing tool can result in massive formatting issues. 

The alternative is to use a volunteering resume template by choosing from one of the templates here .

This will ensure your resume looks professional at all times. 

What to Include in a Volunteer Resume

The main sections in a volunteer resume are:

• Contact Information
• Resume Summary or Objective
• Work Experience/ Volunteer Experience

For a resume that stands out, even more, try adding these optional sections:

• Awards & Certification
• Personal Projects

Interests & Hobbies

It’s now time to go through each of those sections, and explain how to write them...

Not sure which sections to use for your resume? Check out our guide to What to Put on a Resume .

How to Correctly Write Your Contact Information

The tips in this guide will help with creating the best volunteer resume possible.

But those tips are worthless if mistakes are made in this section.

For your contact section, follow these rules:

• Title - Make this specific to the role you’re applying for
• Phone Number - Quadruple check this!
• Email Address - Make sure to use a professional email address ([email protected])
• Portfolio Link or personal website
• (Optional) Relevant Social Media - e.g.: LinkedIn, Twitter, Quora, etc.
• (Optional) Location - Applying for a job abroad? Mention your location.

Stephen Johnson, Volunteer. 101-358-6095. [email protected]

Stephen Johnson, Volunteering Viking. 101-358-6095. [email protected]

How to Write a Volunteer Resume Summary or Objective

The volunteer industry is just as competitive as any other employment opportunity.

In fact, most volunteering jobs have hundreds of applicants applying to become a volunteer for the greater good. 

As such, just telling the recruiter how passionate you are won’t cut it. 

So how do you catch the recruiter’s attention and stand out?

You need to show your value straight away!

You can do this with a resume summary or objective , which are attention-grabbing paragraphs that sit at the top of your resume. 

Although the two are very similar, there are a couple of differences… 

A resume summary is a 2-4 sentence summary of your professional experiences and achievements.

Experienced and passionate volunteer with 5+ years of experience in helping various foundations with their aspirations. Notable highlights include managing an event with 2,000 attendees, scoring 99.5% positive feedback rates, and raising $67,302 revenue when leading a bake sale.]

A resume objective is a 2-4 sentence snapshot of your professional goals and aspirations.

A hard-working volunteer seeks a chance to make a difference with The National Trust. Experience includes working as a temp events volunteer during the summer term. Able to handle a variety of tasks, including greeting the public, preparing activities, and operating POS systems.

So, which option should a volunteer in your situation pick? 

All volunteers have their own specific background, but generally, resume summaries are the best option for those who have a relevant job history, whereas an objective summary is the best option for those with little to no work experience. 

How to Make Your Work Experience Stand Out

Regardless of the type of charity you apply for, they all have one thing in common…

They want to see your work experience .  

Sure, your core skills are important too, but experience always wins. Start with your most recent experience, and then work backwards. Here’s a winning work experience structure…

• Position name
• Company Name
• Dates Employed
• Responsibilities & Achievements

Event Volunteer

National Trust

01/2019 – 03/2020

• Prepared for a 2,000 person event in 8 hours – this involved setting up trails, preparing craft activities, and ensuring complete information and signage
• Provided a warm and friendly welcome at all events, which resulted in a 99.5% positive feedback score
• In charge of running the cake sale, which resulted in $8.302 revenue for the foundation

As shown above, you want to show some impressive achievements, not minor tasks.

So, instead of saying:

“greeted visitors”

“Provided a warm and friendly welcome at all events, which resulted in a 99.5% positive feedback score”

So, what’s the difference between the two?

The second statement goes into more depth about how your presence had a positive impact on the event and the foundation. This clearly shows that you’re someone who should be hired immediately. 

What if You Don’t Have Experience?

Maybe you’re a recent university graduate with no job experience?

Or maybe you have worked many jobs, but never volunteered for a charity?

Don’t worry, we have the solution.

All you need are a few core skills and a desire to learn.

And this can be shown with school projects or experiences from related jobs. 

For example, if you’ve ever worked as a customer service representative, you can talk about any crossover skills and experiences. Just like a volunteer in a public-facing role, you were friendly and dealt with various concerns. 

If you’re a recent graduate , you might want to check out our guide on how to make a student resume !

Use Action Words to Make Your Volunteer Resume POP!

Flick through a bunch of volunteering resumes, and you’ll notice one thing.

They all include these same words. 

And since you want your resume to stand out, we recommend using power words instead.

Here is a list of power words to make your achievements stand out :

• Conceptualized
• Spearheaded

How to List Your Education Correctly

Welcome to the education section!

If your experience section isn’t the best, your education is where you need to shine.

Simply list out your education entries, like this:

• Degree Type & Major
• University Name
• Years Studied
• GPA, Honours, Courses, and anything else you might want to add

B.A. Nursing Management  

University of Chicago

Courses: Anatomy and Physiology, Nursing Care, Mental Health, Sociological and Psychological Aspects of Healthcare, Approaches to Research

Before we conclude this section, here are some of the most frequent questions we get from volunteers (and their answers!):

What if I haven’t finished education?

• Whether you’re still a student, or finished school years ago, you should mention the years/courses studied so far in your life

Should I include my high school education?

• Only include your high school education if you haven’t gone on to further education

What is more important, education or experience?

• Experiences always come before education

Need more answers? Check out our guide on how to list education on a resume .

Top 10 Skills for a Volunteer Resume

When the recruiter is reviewing your resume, they want to see that you’re skilled enough to complete the work they require.  

You see, the resume reviewer will have been given a brief regarding the desired job skills. 

As such, the skills section should reflect the needs of the job.

Need some inspiration?

It’ll depend on the specific volunteering job that you’re applying for, but here are some of the most common and desirable skills:

Hard Skills for Volunteers:

• Point-of-Sale Systems
• Microsoft Office
• CPR Certified 
• Phone Desk Operation

Soft Skills for Volunteers:

• Communication
• Leadership 
• Strategic thinking

Looking for a more comprehensive list? Here’s a mega-list of 100+ must-have skills .

Other Resume Sections You Can Include on a Volunteering Resume

Now, there’s a good chance that the other candidates will have similar volunteering experiences to you.

But if this is the case, won’t your resume look the same as all the others?

Well yes. That’s why we recommend adding a few of the following sections to make your resume stand out. 

Awards & Certifications

Your volunteering work will impress the recruiter.

But don’t leave things there.

Have you completed any courses to improve your skills?

Have you ever been awarded for your duties?

Be sure to mention everything that you’re proud of. Well, only if it is relevant to the volunteering position. 

• Sales Training: Building Your Sales Career – Coursera Certificate
• Best Business Pitch Award – University of Texas
•  Learning How to Learn – Coursera Certificate
• CPR Certification

Your resume shows the assets you can offer to the foundation.

Even though being bilingual may not be an essential skill, it is another asset that your future employer can call upon.  

If this relates to you, and you have space in your resume, definitely include a languages section.

Make sure to split the languages by proficiency:

• Intermediate

The recruiter should now be interested in hiring you.

But before they do, they will want to know more about your personal side. 

As such, it can be a good idea to talk about your hobbies and interests.  

If you’re not sure which hobbies & interests to mention, you can read our guide! 

Include a Cover Letter with Your Resume

You’re a volunteer because you want to make a difference.

Resumes are great for showing your skills and experiences, but you want the foundation to know WHY you want to volunteer for them. 

Cover letters show that you want to work with THIS specific charity.

As such, a cover letter can significantly boost your chances of obtaining the position.

Here’s how to get the structure right:

And here’s what to write in each section:

Contact Details

Your personal contact information, including full name, profession, email, phone number, and location.

Hiring Manager’s Contact Information

Full name, position, location, email

Opening Paragraph

Your introduction should be strong enough to hook the hiring manager, so mention:

• The volunteering position you’re applying for
• Your experience summary and top achievements as a volunteer (or most relevant)

Once you’ve got the hiring manager hooked, you can go through the rest of your background. Some of the points you can mention here are:

• Why you want to volunteer for this specific foundation
• Anything you know about the culture
• What are your top skills and how are they relevant for the job
• If you’ve ever volunteer before

Closing Paragraph

This is where you:

• Wrap up any points you missed in the body paragraph
• Thank the hiring manager for their time
• End with a call to action. Something like, “I’d love to further discuss how my experience as an X can help the company with Y”

Formal Salutations

Use a formal closing, such as “Best regards” or “Sincerely.”

View our how-to write a cover letter guide for extra guidance.

Related Resume Examples

• No Experience Resume
• Social Worker Resume
• Internship Resume
• Office Assistant Resume
• Career Change Resume

Key Takeaways

Followed the steps in this guide? Then you’re in the best position to get that role you’re applying for.

Before we finish up, let’s quickly go through everything we’ve learned:

• Select the right formatting for your resume. Try the reverse-chronological format, and then follow the best practices in regards to the layout. Remember, keep your resume needs to look professional
• Use a resume summary or objective to immediately catch the recruiter’s attention
• For the work experience section, talk more about your achievements, instead of your daily responsibilities
• Write a compelling and convincing cover letter

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• Ask Amanda: How Do I Add...

Ask Amanda: How Do I Add Volunteer Experience to My Resume? (Examples)

5 min read · Updated on July 30, 2024

Each week, TopResume's career advice expert, Amanda Augustine, answers user questions like the one below from Quora and the Ask Amanda form. A certified professional career coach (CPCC) and resume writer (CPRW), Amanda has been helping professionals improve their careers for over 10 years. Have a question for Amanda? Submit it here .

Q: What's the right way to add volunteer experience to my resume?

Someone told me it's OK to add volunteer experience to my resume, especially since I've been unemployed. What's the right way to do that? — Gary H.

Volunteer experience is a great way to pad your resume when you find yourself in any of the following situations:

You recently graduated and don't have a lot of professional experience to share.

You're currently unemployed and looking to fill the employment gap on your resume while you job hunt.

You want to change careers and are looking for ways to demonstrate a skill set you weren't able to use during your regular 9-to-5 job.

What type of volunteer experience should you include on your resume?

The best volunteer experience you can add to your resume is skill-based volunteer (SBV) experience. These volunteer opportunities are considered very valuable for your resume because they allow you to donate your time — and more importantly, the professional skills employers care about — to a worthy cause. Take a look at VolunteerMatch , Idealist , Catchafire , and Points of Light's HandsOn Network to find the right volunteer opportunity for you.

However, you might not have to seek out a new charity in order to find a skill-based volunteer opportunity to boost your resume. If you're already involved in a networking group or other professional association, consider taking a more active role within your chapter. This could be anything from volunteering to manage the group's social media presence to becoming treasurer of the group, to heading up a new committee.

Where should you place volunteer experience on your resume?

There are a few different places where you can include volunteer experience on your resume – the placement will really depend on what the rest of your professional experience looks like and your current job goals.

Nine times out of 10, the best place to include your volunteer experience on your resume is within the “Professional Experience” section. This is especially helpful if you're trying to fill an employment gap on your resume or you're currently employed and trying to draw attention away from this fact.

Sample resume: How to add volunteer experience to mid- or senior-level resume

If you're about to graduate from college and you possess internship experience that is relevant to your job goals and employers will find attractive, you may be better off creating a section for “Relevant Work Experience” and then adding another section called “Volunteer and Leadership Experience” for your volunteer and other club activities.

Sample resume: How to add volunteer experience to an entry-level resume

If you're currently employed, you don't have any employment gaps to fill on your resume, and you're not trying to parlay your volunteer experience into a new career, then your relevant volunteer activities can be placed in a separate section toward the bottom of your resume, either right before or just after the “Education and Professional Development” section on your resume. This is the only instance where you don't necessarily need to include many details about your volunteer work; it's enough to simply state the organization and your role within the group. 

How do you list volunteer experience on a resume?

Write out your volunteer experience as you would any other position on your resume by including a blurb that describes your role within the organization and then calling attention to your main contributions and relevant achievements in a bulleted list.

If necessary, you can get a little creative when it comes to selecting a “Job Title” for your volunteer experience. Select something that reflects your responsibilities, while incorporating terms that prospective employers will be sure to understand. This is especially useful if your organization doesn't have an official title for the work you've taken on for the group. In the spirit of transparency, I recommend adding the term “Volunteer” at the end of whatever job title you decide to use. 

Can you add activism and protests to your resume? 

Your activism can take many forms, from volunteering at certain organizations and leading protests to aiding a particular politician's campaign, or fundraising for your place of worship. Whether you put it on your resume or not depends on what you're looking for.   

When you should add it to your resume

If your activism is an integral part of your identity and you can't imagine working for a company that doesn't share those values, then you should include your experiences on your resume. Whether it's championing racial justice issues, LGBTQ+ rights, or something else, including them on your resume will be a good test to see if the company is the right fit. 

Adding your activism experience is also a good idea if it shows off any relevant skills, like organizing, leading, community building, or fundraising. 

When you shouldn't 

If you don't want a recruiter or hiring manager using your activism experience against you in the job search, then it will be best to leave it off your resume. Also, if you are looking for a job to help you pay your bills, then you don't want a prospective employer deeming you unfit for the job because they don't agree with your beliefs. 

Instead let your resume focus on your skills and achievements that will impress. 

Need help positioning your volunteer experience on your resume? Let a TopResume pro help !

This article was updated in September 2020 by Danielle Elmers .

Recommended Reading:

How to Handle Gaps in Your Employment History

How to Bounce Back After Getting Laid Off

How to Successfully Change Careers

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

From Bland to Beautiful: How We Made This Professional's Resume Shine

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How to List Volunteer Work on Your Resume

Volunteer work can be a great addition to a resume. Here’s how to showcase your volunteering experience to give you the edge in your job search.

3 years ago   •   9 min read

Common job-seeking wisdom holds that volunteering can be a great way to gain experience in your chosen field. And it is — as long as you know how (and when) to show it on your resume.

Everything on your resume should be about showing why you’re a good fit for a job. If volunteer work strengthens your candidacy, then by all means, you should include it. If it doesn’t, it’s okay to leave it off, even if it feels relevant.

Should you include volunteer work on a resume?

The short answer is yes — volunteer work can absolutely belong on your resume. Volunteer experience shows that you have a genuine interest in a particular field or issue. It also shows initiative and the willingness to go above and beyond what’s required, which employers love. If the volunteer work is in the same industry as the one you’re applying to, even better!

If you’re a student, recent graduate, or career changer, you may not have a lot of relevant paid experience. Volunteer work gives you the opportunity to highlight your skills, whether these are common transferrable skills or a specific skill set that your paid experience doesn’t show.

Think outside the box when it comes to volunteer work. This could include working with startups and non-profits, or even unpaid internships. If it demonstrates relevant skills or experience, it belongs on your resume.

How to include volunteer experience on a resume

Here are three different ways you can include volunteer work on a resume:

In your work experience section

• Create a section for work experience at the top of your resume.
• Title the section clearly , e.g. 'Work and Volunteering Experience' or 'Professional and Volunteer Experience.'
• List all of your experience — both paid and volunteer — in chronological order, with the most recent experience first.
• List your job title as 'Volunteer', or by using the standard job title and adding (Volunteer) at the end.
• List 3-6 accomplishments in bullet point format.
• Don't worry if your volunteer experience and paid experience overlap — if you've labeled your volunteer work, employers will understand that this was something you did part-time while you were also working.

Here's an example of what that might look like when you're done:

In a separate volunteer experience section

• Create a section titled 'Volunteering Experience.'
• Include this section above your work experience section if your volunteer work is your most recent and relevant experience, or below your work experience section if it's just an additional section you want to highlight.
• List the name of the organization you volunteered for as the employer .
• List your job title as 'Volunteer [Position Name]' or simply 'Volunteer.'
• Include the dates that you volunteered. You can specify if this was part-time, but you don't need to.
• List your experience chronologically, with the most recent role at the top.
• Include 1-2 bullet accomplishments in bullet point format. If you don't have a lot of paid work experience and volunteer work makes up the bulk of your resume, you can increase that to 3-6 bullet points.

Once you're done with the above steps, here's what the volunteering section could look like on your resume:

In an additional information section

• Create a section at the bottom of your resume.
• Title the section 'Other' or 'Additional Information.'
• Create a 'Volunteering' subheading (optional).
• List your volunteer experience briefly on a single line.

An additional information section is short — here's an example of what it could look like if you have followed the above steps:

Want to see what volunteer work on your resume should look like in action? Keep scrolling for a sample resume and text-based examples you can copy and paste.

Sample volunteer resume

Here's an example of a resume of someone who has predominantly completed volunteering roles during her career.

A simple way to indicate that the roles involved volunteering is to use the word, "Volunteer," in the job titles itself.

Volunteer experience examples for your resume

Stuck on what accomplishments to list under your volunteer work? Here are a few examples.

• Founded the first ever 'Business Series' to organize finance training for 500 students.
• Organized and advertised 10+ quarterly networking events with 300+ participants in 3 cities in California.
• Introduced online platform enabling donations from city residents; secured $10,000 additional funding.
• Presented pitch to XYZ; awarded Frist Prize out of 50+ teams.
• Designed, executed, and optimized digital marketing campaign on Google AdWords; led to 20% increase in ROI.
• Created content and copy for social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) and email newsletter; assessed customer response to create targeted messaging and inform future content; social media following grew 125%+ organically.
• Generated 12,000 unique users, 30,000 page views, and 2000+ newsletter signups in 3 weeks by successfully leveraging social media advertising (Facebook and Instagram).
• Organized and conducted monthly meetings with city council executives and other community leaders to raise funds for opening schools and disabled children.
• Generated 50+ donors through cold call sales and systematic email outreach; qualified leads based on industry and location.
• Managed the launch of a new booking system to improve organization of events; system now used across university.

Related : How To Add Volunteer Experience to LinkedIn

When to include volunteer work in your resume

If you don’t have a lot of work experience.

If you’re new to the workforce , your resume may still be under one page even with all of your paid work experience and internships . In that case, including volunteer work is a good way of demonstrating your skills and work ethic . In this case, it’s best to list your volunteer experience alongside your paid work experience, rather than in a separate section, as it’s likely to make up a decent chunk of your work history.

If you don’t have enough relevant paid experience

Volunteer work can be a great way to break into a new field, especially as a career changer . It shows that you’re serious about making the move and can give you relevant experience to talk about in a cover letter or interview. If your volunteer experience is more relevant to the new industry than your professional experience, you’ll want to include it in the main body of your resume, with your most recent experience on top.

If you have gaps in your resume

Rightly or wrongly, a lot of employers see gaps of more than a few months in a resume as a red flag. If you’ve spent part of this time volunteering, it’s a good idea to include that work chronologically on your resume to show how you’ve been spending your time.

If you want to highlight your volunteer experience

If you have extensive volunteering experience with different organizations and you want to showcase that, you might want to create a separate section on your resume for volunteer work.

If you do this, you should structure your volunteer work in the same way you would any paid experience, with clear bullet points focusing on achievements rather than responsibilities . “Raised $5,000 for wildlife rehabilitation” is specific and measurable; “ responsible for fundraising activities” is too vague.

If you want to find out if your volunteer experience is structured the right way on your resume, upload it to the tool below . It’ll also let you know if your bullet points are action oriented and show quantifiable achievements.

What if your volunteering experience isn’t relevant?

Highlight transferrable skills.

There is still an argument for including volunteer experience on your resume if it isn’t strictly relevant but still fits one of the above criteria. Volunteer work can be used to demonstrate transferrable skills, so look for ones that are particularly relevant or desirable. For example:

• Working at an event might require organizational skills , time management , teamwork, and public speaking.
• If you led a team or organized an event, even better. Leadership , project management, and communication skills are always in high demand.
• If your work was more backstage, you may have experience in data analysis, budgeting, or even marketing and social media outreach.

If you have experience in data analysis, budgeting or marketing but aren’t sure how to highlight these skills or which of these skills to highlight, use the tool below to get a list of skills and keywords relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Focus on results

Just like paid work experience, any volunteer experience you include on your resume should be summarized in well-structured bullet points. These bullet points need to be action-oriented, start with strong action verbs , and, if possible, demonstrate concrete results. For example:

• Led fundraising event for [XYZ charity] and raised over [$amount] for [benefit]
• Created social media strategy for [organization] resulting in [X amount of new followers]
• Taught [subject] to [x amount of students] with [% pass rate on final exams]
• Organized a public awareness campaign for [issue] resulting in [X amount of people attending event] and coverage in [X and Y media]

For more samples of bullet points, visit Resume Bullet Points .

When you shouldn’t include volunteer experience

Just because volunteer work can be a great thing to showcase on a resume, that doesn’t mean you always need to include it. Think of your resume like a highlights reel instead of a complete biography — everything on it needs to serve a purpose.

If it isn’t doesn’t add anything to your resume

Rule number one: Everything on your resume needs to be relevant to the job you’re applying for. If your volunteering experience isn’t relevant but you really want to include it anyway, put it in a short ‘other’ section below your work experience.

If you have extensive paid experience

Paid work experience will always have more weight than volunteer work. If you already have plenty of recent work experience that’s relevant to the position you’re applying for, there’s no need to add volunteer experience on top of that. You want the hiring manager to focus on the strongest parts of your resume, which sometimes means leaving off other things that aren’t as impressive.

If the experience is controversial

Vounteering for political or religious organizations might not matter to most employers, but to some, it could make a difference. If you're applying for a paid or volunteer position in the same field — for example, to work on a political campaign or at a related nonprofit — relevant volunteer experience can work in your favor, as it shows you have a genuine dedication to the cause. On the other hand, it might not be such a good idea to emphasize your church volunteer work if you're applying to a secular organization, or your animal rights activism if you want to work at a steakhouse. When deciding whether to list volunteer work that involves religion, politics, or protesting (especially if you've ever been arrested as a result), use your best judgment and err on the side of discretion if it doesn't feel particularly relevant.

Spread the word

Resume summary examples: how to write one and samples you can use, how to list contract work on your resume: a 2024 guide, keep reading, how to show bilingualism on your resume (with examples), oops what to do if there’s a mistake on your resume, getting the basics right: resume line spacing, subscribe to our newsletter.

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How to Include Volunteer Work on a Resume: A Guide

The main purpose of writing a resume is to inform an employer of the skills and experience you have that qualifies you for a specific job. When you’re writing a resume , you may wonder whether or not you can mention volunteer work that you have completed.

Not only can you list volunteer work on your resume, but doing so is often a great way to demonstrate your skills and help hiring managers understand your interests (including those that are not directly related to your job).

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In this guide, we discuss how to include volunteer work on your resume and walk through a few examples of volunteer work listings on a resume.

Why Include Volunteer Work on a Resume

Listing volunteer work on your resume can have a number of advantages.

By listing volunteer work on your resume, you can better showcase the skills you have acquired. For instance, if you run a local chapter of a volunteer running group, you may have acquired skills in event planning and fundraising that could be useful on the job.

Volunteer work is also valuable to list on your resume if you have limited professional experience. If you have just graduated from high school or college, for instance, you may not have much—or any—experience in the workforce.

Mentioning any experience you have volunteering is a good way to show that you have experience working in a non-educational environment, which can go a long way to convincing an employer that you are the right candidate for a job.

How to Include Volunteer Work on a Resume

Three areas where you can include volunteer work on a resume are:

• In the professional history section

In a Volunteer Experience Section

• In its own section

In the Professional History Section

If you are a student who has very little professional experience—or are just starting in the workforce—then you should consider adding volunteer work to the professional experience section of your resume.

Once you have listed any work experience you have, you can also mention the volunteering opportunities which you have pursued in your career. For instance, if you have volunteered at a local charity to help them fundraise, or helped with a house-building volunteer project, you could mention it in your professional history section.

Here’s an example of volunteer work listed in the professional history section of a resume:

Habitat for Humanity

Volunteer Builder, July 2019-August 2019

• Helped coordinate the start of a Habitat for Humanity project
• Contributed to building four rooms in a house for the project
• Worked with a team of 70 volunteers

As you can see, this description is accompanied by a list of three bullet points outlining what the candidate learned from the position. If you are mentioning volunteer work in your professional experience, you should feel free to explore what impact you had in the volunteer position in more depth than you otherwise would. 

Alternatively, you can list your volunteer experience in its own section.

This is a common approach for people who already have extensive professional experience but want to showcase a few of the volunteering opportunities they have pursued.

In Its Own Section

In addition, if you have experience that is unrelated to the position for which you are applying, adding it into its own section is a good idea.

This is because, unless you have no other experience to mention, you don’t want to make unrelated experience appear too prominently on your resume. Such information may distract the reader from the key points you are trying to make.

Here is an example of a listing in a volunteer experience section:

Volunteer Experience

Charitable Fundraising Drive Volunteer | Local Radio Station | January 2016-May 2016

Including Volunteer Work on Your Resume: Top Tips

Now that we’ve discussed where you can include volunteer work on your resume, let’s explore a few top tips you can use to make the most out of listing volunteer work on your resume.

Tip #1: Only list volunteer work when it is relevant.

Volunteer work is a good way to showcase the wide range of skills you have. However, you should only list volunteer work when you feel doing so will add value to your resume.

If you have extensive professional experience in a field, or if the volunteer work you have done is completely unrelated to the job for which you are applying, you may want to consider leaving it out.

This will give you more room to discuss your skills, educational history, and past work experiences that are more directly related to the position, thereby making it easier for you to position yourself as a good candidate for a job.

#2: Update your resume for each position.

While this may sound unnecessary, one way to ensure your resume will stand out is to personalize it for each position you apply for. 

You should make sure that every resume you write for a job reflects the needs of the employers and how you meet those needs. So, if you have volunteer experience that relates to one position but not another, you may want to submit two different resumes to ensure each of them reflects your core skills and experiences relevant to the job.

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#3: Keep your volunteer experience short if you have other experience.

If you are using volunteer work to stand in for professional history—which is common if you are a student or a recent grad—then you may want to use a longer description. However, if you already have work experience that you can list on your resume, there is no need to delve too deep into each volunteer position you have held.

Here is an example of a volunteer experience listing on a resume:

Fundraising Volunteer | Local Non-Profit | Oakland, CA | April, 2019

Facilitated the tracking of $5,000 in donations sources from our email campaign and grassroots fundraising efforts.

Resume Volunteer Work: An Example

What does volunteer work look like when listed on a resume? Here is an resume sample to help you understand how volunteer experience should appear on a resume in more depth:

Hilda Brown

Oakland, California

[email protected]

A dedicated administrative assistant with two years experience coordinating the schedules of executives.

Key assisting skills include: Communication, customer service, phone etiquette, discretion, organization, experience with Google Calendar, Airtable, Excel, and email, knowledge of administrative practices within large organizations.

Professional Experience

Executive Assistant

Smith Paper Company

April 2018 – Present

• Worked to coordinate the schedule of Office Manager
• Answered the phone and took memos for Office Manager
• Managed all ingoing and outgoing correspondence for the Office Manager

Volunteer Administrator

Oakland Animal Shelter

• Provided scheduling support for the head of the Oakland Animal Shelter
• Screened and routed phone calls to the appropriate parties
• Made travel arrangements for the head of the shelter
• Filed and generated reports and presentations on behalf of manager

University of Notre Dame

August 2014 – August 2018

Bachelor’s of Communication, 3.8 GPA

Listing volunteer work on your resume is a good way to showcase the additional skills you have acquired outside of the professional workforce.

For people without any professional experience — such as students or recent graduates — volunteer experience is a good way to showcase that you have some working experience outside of school, even if it was not as part of a business or government organization.

By following the tips in this guide, you will be able to include volunteer experience effectively on your resume. The volunteer experience you list may be what encourages a recruiter to reach out to you to schedule an interview !

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

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12 Volunteer Experiences Examples for Resume-Building

Brandi Glass

• 5 min read.

Recruiters know that your volunteer experiences make you a better employee. They show you possess critical skills relevant for any role, plus that you’re a passionate person determined to contribute to your community.

So, the question isn’t: should you include your volunteer experience on your resume? It’s: where and how should you include it?

Keep reading to discover how to best present your voluntary work on your resume in order to impress recruiters and employers.

Where to Include Your Volunteer Experience on Your Resume

Most candidates should include their volunteer experience under the Career History section of their resum e. However, in some cases, it may be worth including it in the Skills section or creating a Volunteering section at the end of your resume instead.

Include it in the Career History section if:

• It’s relevant to the role you’re applying for
• You’re at the start of your career

Create a Volunteering section if:

• Neither the work nor the skills involved are relevant to your career
• It would push other important information too far down your resume

Include it in your Skills if:

• The skills are highly relevant to the role you’re applying for, but the field or position isn’t

How to Present Your Volunteer Experience on Your Resume

You want to highlight the value of your volunteer experiences while keeping the information concise. Remember, when it comes to writing a resume, less is often more . You also want to underscore how your volunteering work is relevant to your job application.

Include the name of the organization you’re volunteering with, your job title, start and end dates and key responsibilities. It should look like this:

Volunteering Organization Volunteer Job Title, Start Date – End Date

• Key responsibilities and accomplishments

Let’s break this down a little more.

Don’t just use “volunteer” as your job title. Be more specific: what was your volunteering role? The organization you volunteered with should tell you your official role, but if you didn’t have one, you could also use a phrase such as “Volunteer English Tutor” or “Graphic Designer (Volunteer).” Since many recruiters only look at job titles, this will better demonstrate the skills you used.

Start Date and End Date

You should mention the month and year, but you don’t need to specify the day you started or finished volunteering. If you’re still in this role, you can write “present” for the end date.

Responsibilities and Accomplishments

Use bullet points to maximize white space and make it easier for recruiters and potential employers to skim-read your resume. (Most recruiters spend fewer than 8 seconds reading each resume.)

In general, more relevant and/or recent roles should have more bullet points. However, a good rule of thumb is to include between one and five bullet points maximum, with most roles having no more than three points.

You don’t need to include all your responsibilities, especially the ones that are less applicable to the job application. Include only the most relevant and impressive ones. Where possible, use the exact phrasing from the job listing. This will help if the company is using an applicant tracking system to filter out resumes that don’t include the skills in the job listing.

Try to also provide evidence for your accomplishments by including metrics or other quantifiable data. This will make your application more impressive and memorable.

Volunteer Experience Resume Examples & Breakdowns

While your volunteer experience resume entry should be customized to your personal experience and the role you’re applying for, here are some common volunteer experience descriptions that you can use. Don’t forget to adapt them to your background and add important details, including the organization name and your start and end date.

• Food Bank/Soup Kitchen Volunteer Resume Description
• Organized lines of 50+ people
• Treated visitors with empathy and respect
• Hospital Volunteer Resume Description
• Restocked supplies
• Supported medical staff
• Used people skills to talk with patients and help put them at ease
• Volunteer Vaccine Administrator Resume Description
• Administered vaccines
• Explained potential side-effects of medicine
• Confirmed patient identities
• Put patients at ease and demonstrated patient aftercare
• Helpline Volunteer Resume Description
• Used communication skills and phone skills to support callers
• Analyzed risk and made judgment calls about whether to alert emergency services
• Senior Companion Volunteer Resume Description
• Provided weekly company for a senior
• Used empathy and communication skills to build a relationship with the senior
• Showed disability awareness by supporting a senior in a wheelchair
• Environmental Volunteer Resume Description
• Organized community litter picking and beach cleaning
• Promoted environmental volunteering events via social media and flyers
• Designed marketing graphics for environmental volunteering events
• Volunteer Trainer Resume Description
• Coached disadvantaged youths, resulting in a 36% increase in A–C school grades
• Motivated trainees; maintained an 88% trainee attendance rate
• Developed a curriculum and learning materials
• Volunteer Fundraiser Resume Description
• Fundraised over $12,000 in annual subscriptions
• Designed fundraising and marketing materials using Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign
• Peace Corps Volunteer Resume Description
• Provided hygiene, nutrition and HIV/Aids education
• Trained youths to be peer educators
• Created programs to support HIV-positive people
• Disaster Response Volunteer Resume Description
• Distributed medicine, blankets, food, tents and other essential products
• Helped ensure the safety of displaced people by stewarding camps
• Provided basic first aid
• Used French language to support and communicate with displaced people
• Provided an empathetic, friendly face
• Volunteer Event Steward Resume Description
• Checked ID and tickets
• Patrolled event and alerted security to issues
• Provided customer service by answering event attendees’ questions
• Controlled crowds to avoid overcrowding and safety issues
• Arts Volunteer Resume Description
• Directed an amateur theater group and coached actors on their roles
• Demonstrated people leadership by resolving interpersonal issues and motivating actors
• Organized three performances a year
• Marketed performances on social media and used sales skills to sell tickets

Leverage Your Volunteer Experience to Get Invited to Job Interviews

A well-written resume is key to job-hunting success. Not only will it land you more invites to interview, but you can use it to negotiate a higher starting salary and better work conditions. And no matter how much — or little! — experience you have, volunteer work can help you stand out from other applicants.

Make sure to fine-tune your resume so you’re highlighting the value of your past experiences, whether they were voluntary or not. You should also make sure your resume is machine-readable and professionally laid out.

Our volunteer resume templates will help you get started. They’re easy to customize to your background and come in a guaranteed machine-readable file format. What’s more, our resume builder will recommend the ideal structure based on your career history, along with recruiter-approved phrasing to describe your skill sets.

With our tools, you’ll find crafting a winning resume is easy. Plus, it takes just 10 minutes, so build your resume now.

• How to List Volunteer Experience on Resume (with examples)

The purpose of writing a resume is to show potential recruiters that you are the most suitable candidate for a particular job. Professional experience, skills, education details, and work-related achievements are some of the things you can include in your CV to make it stand out in a pile. 

While not many job seekers know this, another section you might consider including to make your application stand out is the volunteer one. With that said, you might now be wondering, “Well, but does volunteering count as work experience?” The answer is, “it does.” Especially if the experience you gained is relevant to the job you are applying to. 

However, you will increase your chances of sending a successful application only if you understand where to put volunteer work on a resume. So, take the time to learn about all that right below. 

When to Put Volunteering in Resume Experience Section

You must include your volunteer information under the Work Experience section if the following three conditions are met: 

• Your volunteer experience is relevant to the position that you’re applying
• You lack work experience
• You have employment gaps

Volunteer Resume Samples with Related Experience

If you applying for a nursing position and you have minimal paid experience, here’s how you can put your volunteer experience on resume:

Nursing Experience

Better Health Center, Baltimore, MD

• Held a volunteer nursing role at Better Health Center. Provided nursing care, health evaluations, health guidance, health education, and referral services to patients and institutions. 
• Administered prescribed drugs and emergency services to patients.
• Assessed and monitored the physical and mental states of patients. 
• Tracked the progress of care plans.
• Conducted home visits and rendered preventive solutions. 

Penning your volunteer section like so shows that you really have relevant nursing experience. As such, you can be sure that you will impress the hiring executive. 

No matter what, never write this section as below. It is wrong.

Additional Activities

• Volunteered at Better Health Center, Baltimore, MD.
• Penned nursing blog articles regularly.
• Member of a mountain climbing charity group.

So, what is the problem here? You are diluting your relevant experience by putting it together with entirely unrelated activities. As you might already have picked up, the trick here is to mention the specific experience that relates to what you want to apply for.

Note, when putting volunteer work on resume as work experience, always name it correctly. For example, in the above sample, it is “nursing experience” and not “additional activities.” Likewise, if you are applying for a manager’s position, write “managing experience.” 

When to Put Volunteering in Resume Special Section

You must write your volunteer information under a Volunteering section when it is not related to the position you are applying for. In another case – you do so when you have many paid and related work-related experiences.

Volunteer Resume Samples with Unrelated Experience

If you are applying for a receptionist job and your volunteer experience has no relation to it, here is the right way to do it.

Volunteer Experience

• Did fundraising for the protection of dolphins;
• Participated in a community service week;
• Supported team-mates and assisted in various activities.

All told, volunteering shows that you give back to the community. You can convert this noble course into something that helps with your career development by incorporating other useful strategies for improving your job-seeking efforts. One among them is  organizing your job search from scratch . 

How to Put Volunteer Work on Resume to Wow the Recruiter

The point of tweaking your resume in different ways is to please the hiring executive. When it comes to volunteering activities, writing more detailed bullet points can go a long way in impressing a recruiter. Take a look at these two volunteer resume samples.

The wrong way:

• An administrative assistant at St. James Parish.
• Volunteer at Rescue Earth.
• A frequent volunteer at Red Cross.

The proper way:

• Volunteer administrative assistant at St. James Parish. Supervised four $30,000 building projects, always achieving an 8% budget saving. 
• As a volunteer at Rescue Earth, was in charge of 15 workers to enforce a zero-plastic initiative. 
• Launched three IT solutions as a volunteer at Red Cross.

In addition to learning how to write the volunteer section correctly, you have to learn about the  things you should never put on your resume . Failure to do this can water down your overall efforts of coming up with that perfect application.  

Useful Tips for Listing Volunteer Work on a Resume

Here are some useful things to do when writing your volunteer section.

• Tailor your application

Always ensure that your volunteer skills and qualifications match the role you are applying for by examining the vacancy announcement thoroughly. Moreover, you can gather some information on the organization you want to work in to find out the qualities required for the employees. 

• Include keywords from the vacancy description

Identify essential keywords from the position’s description. Then, ponder on your volunteer work to see how you can phrase the skills you have gained from it using the keywords that are present in the description. 

We all tend to be mistaken; thus, do not forget to proofread or find someone to help you out.

When Not to Include Volunteer Work on Resume

According to LinkedIn research, 41% of recruiters prefer to hire people with volunteering experience on resume.

So never leave your volunteer information off of your resume completely. Even if it’s not related to your job, it’ll be wise to include your pro bono work under the Additional Activities section, especially if you have lots of impressive accomplishments you to add to your resume.

Check out the following example to see how to include unrelated volunteer experience on resume:

• Coordinated fundraisers for various non-profit organizations.
• Volunteered as a celebrity’s giving back team. 
• Supervised a project for feeding the homeless.

That said, note that apart from showing that you are involved in your community,  volunteering comes with tons of benefits . Best of all, it showcases some of the  soft skills  that recruiters look out for in applicants such as leadership, teamwork, compassion, and so forth. 

In conclusion, adding volunteer work to resume is sure to make your application stand out among others. However, before you go on with providing this information, take time to evaluate how your volunteering activities show the skills that the hiring company has communicated in the vacancy announcement.

Is there any other concern regarding how to include volunteering gigs in your CV? Feel free to drop in your queries or comments below. 

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How to Include Volunteer Experience on a Resume [+Examples]

Including volunteering in your resume is always a great idea. But once you've decided to do it, you unavoidably arrive at the question: how to include volunteer experience on your resume exactly?

If you do it well, it can completely elevate your resume above others. If not, it can make your resume more difficult to navigate. 

Above all else, the volunteering section of your resume is one of the few places where you can demonstrate your character . 

It shows what you care about and what you find important. It can make you look proactive, invested in your community, and even selfless. 

In other words, the volunteering section of your resume can make you irresistible to employers. So how do you make it stand out?

This guide will help you with it.

 It will also answer these pressing questions:

What is the resume volunteer experience section?

• Why should you list your volunteer experience on your resume?
• Where should you put your volunteer experience section on a resume?
• How to write one if you’re a student or a fresh graduate?
• How to write one as an experienced professional?

How to include volunteer work experience on a resume (video guide)

The volunteer experience section is the place on your resume where you mention any kind of work you do voluntarily and for free.

Not only does your volunteering work benefit your community, it also has the potential to benefit your career . It’s an excellent way to showcase those skills, strengths and motivations that would otherwise not find their way onto your resume.

For instance, are you caring and enthusiastic? These are excellent personal strengths that you might find difficult to place on a resume.

Well, now you don’t have to just write about them in your cover letter, your volunteering experience will speak for itself.

However, in order to truly nail it, you also need to know  why,  how  and  where  to write about your volunteering. And that very much depends on where you are in your career.

Why should you list volunteer experience on your resume?

So why should you include volunteering experience on your resume? Isn't having a good degree and extensive work experience enough?

There are two main reasons why you should consider volunteering and placing it on your resume. 

It will impress recruiters

For some, volunteering is  as valuable as paid work . About 41% of hiring managers consider volunteer work as valuable as paid work when evaluating candidates (according to a  LinkedIn survey ). 

Moreover, about 20% of hiring managers in the U.S. hired a candidate based on their volunteer experience.

It speaks volumes about your character

In addition to skills particular to every position, volunteer experience always shows an employer that you’re willing to get involved in your community, take initiative, and make things happen. 

In other words, volunteering shows qualities that are highly sought after in every industry.

What other personal qualities do recruiters associate with volunteering?  

• Being a people person 
• Leadership skills
• A service mindset
• Ability to work within a team 
• Being passionate about a cause
• Inner drive and motivation 
• Dependability

Where should you put your volunteer experience on a resume?

As we've already mentioned, that heavily depends on where you're in your career. When it comes to the order of the resume sections, the rule of thumb is quite simple —  the most relevant things come first. 

So if you have plenty of work experience, volunteering can be placed toward the end of your resume. However, if most of your experience so far comes from volunteering, then feel free to list it at the beginning of your CV. 

• Are you a student or a fresh graduate?  In this case, you probably lack years of work experience. This means that you should treat your volunteer experience as regular work experience. Feel free to even include your volunteer work in your work experience section.
• Are you an experienced professional?  Then you should create a separate section dedicated exclusively to your volunteer work. But if you had a volunteer job that’s highly relevant to the job you’re applying for, consider mentioning it in your work experience section.

So, how to list it on your resume in both scenarios?

How to list volunteer experience if you’re a student or a fresh graduate?

Most recruiters see volunteer experience similarly to paid  work experience  anyway. Just because you didn’t get paid, it doesn’t mean you didn’t do a good job.

And since you don’t have extensive paid work experience to lean on, treat your volunteering just like a job that you got paid for doing. 

List your volunteering role/s as you would full-time paid jobs:

• Place it in the section towards the beginning of your resume , right beneath your  education section . 
• If you have more volunteering experiences,  list them in reverse-chronological order  (place the newest experience at the top). 
• Include details about each volunteering gig : place, organization, dates, relevant tasks you undertook, and skills you’ve learned. 

Pro tip:  Be specific rather than vague. Don’t only list your responsibilities, but also mention your accomplishments. Instead of writing  “Volunteered for a university magazine” , say  “Wrote 28 articles for a university magazine” . See the difference?

Below is a great example.

Student resume volunteering sample

Look at how the following student resume sample incorporates volunteering. Pay attention to how Gia, even though she was still a student, managed to fill her whole resume with valuable experiences. 

She correctly included internships in the work experience section. And as she had plenty of them, she wisely placed volunteering in a separate section for it to stand out.

The rest was easy — all she had to do is fill in the dates, location, name of the organization she volunteered for, and responsibilities she’s had. 

How to list volunteer experience if you’re a seasoned professional?

Volunteering is a great addition to your resume even if you’re a seasoned professional.

• This is true  especially if the volunteering experience is related to the job you’re applying for , it lasted for a while, or majorly shaped your personality or professional path in a major way. In this case, you may want to highlight the volunteering section or place it closer to the top of the resume. Alternatively, you can place the most prominent volunteering experience in the work section.
• On the other hand,  even if the volunteering experience wasn’t as extensive or didn’t relate to your career , it’s not a problem. In this case, you may want to consider placing it near the end of your resume. 

Either way, when describing volunteering, try to be specific and list your  key achievements  in the same way you do with your work experience. 

For instance, if you volunteer as a Blood Bank Officer, instead of writing  “Administration and control of the blood bank” , write  “Administered 7 blood drives with 350+ donors for the Red Cross and Armed Services Blood Programs.”

Alternatively, you can just briefly mention where you volunteer and what you do.

Take a look at the resume sample below to see how! 

Seasoned professional volunteering resume sample

Volunteer work: one more piece of resume advice

• Relate it to your skills.  If you gained or improved some skills through your volunteer work, include these in the description. Pay special attention to those skills that match the job description.
• Use action verbs.  Make your volunteer section even more powerful and appealing. This helps the hiring manager understand your skillset and see you as a dedicated member of the team.
• Stay positive.  Focus on how you’re helping the community rather than the negative aspects that you’d like to change.
• Use quantifiable achievements , if possible. It always makes you look more accomplished. 
• Use volunteering to fill in the gaps.  If you found yourself jobless for a while, volunteering during this period can easily cover the unwanted resume gap. 
• Be careful when writing about religious or political volunteering , you may be unfairly rejected if the recruiter isn't fond of your values.
• Put it in context. Explain the issues or challenges the community or organization you volunteered with was facing, and how your role contributed to addressing these. This gives potential employers a clearer picture of your problem-solving skills and adaptability.
• Don't underestimate soft skills. Volunteering often helps individuals develop interpersonal, communication or leadership skills. Highlight these soft skills as they are valued by employers and can set you apart.
• Personalize your experiences. Instead of simply listing your volunteer activities, share a brief story or specific instance where you made a significant impact. This humanizes your experiences and can make your resume more memorable.

Find out your resume score!

Do you have a LinkedIn profile filled with all the important details, including your academic background, skills, experience, and qualifications? You can easily  turn it into a polished resume with just one click.

What to avoid when writing about your volunteering experience on your resume?

Don’t include information that's too outdated. If you’re in your 30s and write about volunteering that you did during your high school years, the recruiter will know that you have no new experiences to lean on. In other words, keep your resume relevant and up to date. 

What are the most common forms of volunteering found on resumes?

Fundraising, followed by teaching and serving food.

Should I talk about church volunteering on my resume?

This topic requires some delicacy. In general, it's advised not to disclose information about your race, religion, or orientation on your resume in order to avoid being discriminated against.

This means it's better to think twice before openly disclosing your church activities. On the other hand, there's a chance that you're applying for a position that's affiliated with the church, or a position that requires volunteering experience. In that case, be the judge of the situation and include everything that you think could give you an advantage over other candidates.

Should I include one-time volunteering activities on my resume or only long-term commitments?

It largely depends on the nature of the activity. If it was a meaningful, one-time event where you gained or demonstrated significant skills or made a notable impact, it might be worth including. However, a long-term commitment generally demonstrates dedication and sustained interest, which can impress employers.

If I have extensive volunteering experience, should I create a separate section for it on my resume or include it in my work experience section?

If you have considerable volunteering experience, it's recommended to create a separate 'Volunteer Experience' section. This allows you to showcase your social responsibility, leadership, and other skills obtained from volunteering. If the volunteering experience is limited, it's acceptable to include it under 'work experience' or 'additional experience'.

Kaja Jurčišinová

Kaja Jurcisinova is a fresh graduate and a junior copywriter at Kickresume. Kaja completed her undergraduate degree in Art History at the University of St Andrews in 2018 and graduated with a Master’s in Arts and Culture from the University of Groningen in 2021. She was an intern at multiple cultural institutions across Europe, including the Dutch Museum Association in Amsterdam, the Matter of Art Biennale in Prague, and the European Cultural Centre in Venice. At the moment, she resides in Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland.

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How to write a professional resume summary [+examples], how to put your education on a resume [+examples], how to describe your work experience on a resume [+examples], let your resume do the work..

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10+ “Experience” Synonyms To Put In Your Resume [With Examples]

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Looking for “experience” synonyms to put in your resume?

However, when you finish crafting your resume, you may realize you have gotten a little too carried away with your use of the word.

So how can you find another word for “experience” that still communicates exactly what you want in your resume?

In this article, you'll find more than just a list of synonyms: you'll also find examples of how to use these words in each section of your resume.

At the end of this article, I'll share a secret tip on how to level up your resume writing too.

You can read this piece from top to bottom or jump to the specific sections below:

10+ Synonyms For “Experience” To Put In Your Resume

How to use “experience” synonyms on your resume (with examples).

• How To Take Your Resume Writing To The Next Level (With Free Resources!)

Taking Your Resume To The Next Level: Final Steps

Key takeaways to writing a job-winning resume.

Let's get started!

Below, you can find a list of 10 synonyms for “experience” to add to your resume:

• Knowledge: Implies understanding gained through involvement or study.
• Expertise: Suggests a high skill level or mastery in a particular area.
• Proficiency: Conveys competence in specific tasks or activities.
• Exposure: Emphasizes familiarity gained through observation or participation.
• Background: Suggests prior involvement or history in a certain field.
• Familiarity: Implies general awareness or understanding.
• Competence: Suggests the ability to perform tasks successfully.
• Insight: Focuses on deeper understanding and awareness.
• Practice: Indicates repetitive engagement or honing of a skill.
• Skill: Conveys the application of learned abilities in tasks.

Now that you've seen the top 10 synonyms for “experience,” here's how you can use them in a sentence:

1. Using “knowledge” as another word for “experience”:

Using “experience”:

Experience in managing cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time, resulting in a 20% improvement in overall project delivery speed.

Using “knowledge”:

Knowledge of cross-functional team dynamics, resulting in a 20% improvement in overall project delivery speed.

“Knowledge” highlights understanding and proficiency in a particular area.

2. Using “expertise” as another word for “experience”:

Experience developing automated systems that reduced costs by 15% and increased operational efficiency by 30%.

Using “expertise”:

Expertise in developing automated systems that led to a 15% cost reduction and a 30% increase in operational efficiency.

“Expertise” emphasizes a high level of skill and mastery.

3. Using “proficiency” as another word for “experience”:

Experience with data analysis tools to generate actionable insights that improved decision-making processes by 25%.

Using “proficiency”:

Proficiency with data analysis tools, resulting in a 25% improvement in decision-making accuracy.

“Proficiency” suggests competence and capability in a task.

4. Using “exposure” as another word for “experience”:

Experience working with diverse client portfolios, leading to a 40% increase in client retention.

Using “exposure”:

Exposure to diverse client portfolios, resulting in a 40% increase in client retention.

“Exposure” conveys familiarity gained through direct involvement.

5. Using “background” as another word for “experience”:

Experience in financial analysis for Fortune 500 companies, generating insights that boosted revenue by 10%.

Using “background”:

Background in financial analysis for Fortune 500 companies, delivering insights that resulted in a 10% increase in revenue.

“Background” implies prior involvement and knowledge in the field.

6. Using “familiarity” as another word for “experience”:

Experience in customer relationship management software, reducing response time by 25%.

Using “familiarity”:

Familiarity with customer relationship management software, resulting in a 25% reduction in response time.

“Familiarity” suggests an awareness and understanding of the subject.

7. Using “competence” as another word for “experience”:

Experience in executing complex marketing campaigns, resulting in a 30% increase in lead generation.

Using “competence”:

Competence in executing complex marketing campaigns, driving a 30% increase in lead generation.

“Competence” highlights the ability to perform a task successfully.

8. Using “insight” as another word for “experience”:

Experience in user behavior analysis, improving website conversions by 50%.

Using “insight”:

Insight into user behavior, driving a 50% increase in website conversions.

“Insight” conveys a deep understanding of the subject matter.

9. Using “practice” as another word for “experience”:

Experience in leading agile teams, reducing project turnaround time by 15%.

Using “practice”:

Practice in leading agile teams, resulting in a 15% reduction in project turnaround time.

“Practice” indicates engagement and repetition of a specific skill or process.

10. Using “skill” as another word for “experience”:

Experience in graphic design, creating visually compelling campaigns that increased brand engagement by 35%.

Using “skill”:

Skilled in graphic design, producing visually compelling campaigns that resulted in a 35% increase in brand engagement.

“Skill”, or “skilled”, highlights the application of abilities and talents in specific tasks.

Want To Take Your Resume Writing To The Next Level?

Writing a resume isn't just simply listing your work experience, education, and skills. You need to sell yourself too !

This means you'll need to craft compelling resume bullets that really grab the attention of recruiters

Sure, you could go with something like: Marketing Manager with 10+ years of experience.

Or, you could go with something like this:

Marketing Manager with 10+ years of experience crafting compelling B2B campaigns that increased brand recognition by 25%.

Much better, right?

That's because I used a secret formula that includes a reasonable amount of hard and soft skills, action words, measurable results, and common words:

You can use ResyBullet.io to scan, score, and upgrade your resume bullets in a few seconds. Here's what I scored for the resume bullet above:

To scan and improve your resume bullet, simply head over to ResyBullet.io or copy and paste your resume bullet below:

Free Resume Bullet Analyzer

Learn to write crazy effective resume bullets that grab attention, illustrate value, and actually get results., copy and paste your resume bullet to begin analysis:.

Aim for a score over 60 and you'll be good to go!

Not sure what metrics to include in your resume? This post from Austin's LinkedIn brings 5 ways you can uncover metrics for any role:

To recap, here's a video that walks through the entire process of writing a job-winning resume bullet:

Finding the right words for your resume can go a long way when you're applying online. Not only do you want to use compelling language, but you also want your resume to get past ATS filters . To do this, you'll need to match the keywords in your resume with the ones in the target job description.

The best way to do this is by using a resume scanner like ResyMatch.io to scan and score your resume with your target job in just a few clicks. Simply upload your resume and paste the job description below:

Copy/paste or upload your resume here:

Click here to paste text

Upload a PDF, Word Doc, or TXT File

Paste the job post's details here:

Scan to compare and score your resume vs the job's description.

Scanning...

If you're a visual learner, here's a video walking through the entire process so you can follow along:

After you've optimized your resume with the right keywords, how about ramping it up with a job-winning resume template? Pick one of the templates below from ResyBuild.io to get started:

Free Job-Winning Resume Templates, Build Yours In No Time .

Choose a resume template below to get started:.

Now that we've gone through the best synonyms for “experience” to put in your resume, here are my final takeaways for writing a job-winning resume:

• Review every instance of “experience” in your resume
• Review the list of synonyms in this article and update your resume so you don't have more than 2-3 instances of “experience”
• Run each of your resume bullets through ResyBullet.io and make sure they score >60
• Run your entire resume through ResyMatch.io and make sure it's optimized for the roles you are targeting
• Ramp up your resume with one of our job-winning resume templates from ResyBuild.io

Follow these steps and you are sure to end up with a job-winning resume!

Good luck out there!

Paula Martins

Paula is Cultivated Culture's amazing Editor and Content Manager. Her background is in journalism and she's transitioned from roles in education, to tech, to finance, and more. She blends her journalism background with her job search experience to share advice aimed at helping people like you land jobs they love without applying online.

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A Guide to Mentioning a Career Break on Your CV

Occasionally it’s necessary to take a career break. Other times, you might choose to take an optional break to pursue important interests, such as family or travelling. But do you need to mention your career break on your CV, and if so, how do you highlight it without making problems for yourself? In this article, we’ll discuss how to handle a career break on your CV, providing tips to help improve your chances of job application success.

Do You Have to Include a Career Break in Your CV?

If you’re wondering whether you have to mention a career break in your CV , the short answer is no. It’s not essential to mention gaps in employment or breaks you’ve taken from your career, whatever the reason. However, ignoring your career gaps can raise alarms for employers when they see periods of time unaccounted for in your career timeline. Being up front and honest about your career gaps can help your chances of success by dispelling doubts about what you’re hiding from employers.

You might feel nervous about mentioning your career break because it shows idle time in your development. You may even worry that employers will think you’re less suited to the role because you’ve fallen behind with the latest technology or industry standards. Indeed, there is always a risk that employers could have these thoughts. However, there are plenty of ways to minimise its impact and even frame your career break in a positive light.

How to Mention a Career Break in Your CV

If you decide to mention your career break rather than leave gaps in your CV , there are various ways to do it. Here are some of the most suitable places to reference any breaks in your career:

Address career breaks in your work experience section

The most appropriate place to address a career break is often your work experience section. This is the best place to highlight any time you took off to care for children on your CV , or any other career breaks. If you took a substantial break between jobs, you can list your career break between those two jobs in your work experience section. If, however, you took a break and then returned to the same job (for example, a sabbatical), you could simply mention it within the relevant job’s section on your CV.

Add a separate section explaining your career break

Another suitable place to mention a career break could be in a separate section towards the end of your CV. This could come under the ‘additional information’ section, with a sub-heading ‘career breaks’. If you took a break to gain experience through training, education, voluntary work or another type of personal development, you could mention this in the relevant CV section.

Explain a career break in your cover letter

You could also highlight your career break in your cover letter. This gives you the opportunity to expand on the details of your career break, including your reasons for taking a break and any useful career development or skills you may have learned from it. Your CV might not afford you the space to add this information, but cover letter templates give you more space to expand on the details.

Discussing your career break during an interview

Hiring managers may ask you about CV gaps in a job interview. If you’ve mentioned your break already on your CV and cover letter, then you’ll be better prepared to explain it in more detail during an interview. If, however, you haven’t listed your career break in your application, and the interviewer spots a gap in your CV timeline, this might make for a more awkward interview scenario.

Examples of how to mention career break in your CV

Take inspiration from these examples of how to mention a career break in different parts of your CV and cover letter:

Work experience section

Add your career break between roles in your reverse-chronological career timeline. You can either add a brief mention, or include some details of what you did during your break and why you took it. Take a look at these work experience CV examples :

Planned career break, September 2018 - March 2019

• Took an intentional career break to undertake family care responsibilities

If you took a sabbatical from a role before returning to the same job, you can mention it as a bullet point within the entry for that role on your CV, as follows:

Office Manager, Anderson Harvey Ltd, Hexham, June 2017 – present

• Managed an office with 20 sales, marketing and administrative professionals for a reputable office supplies firm
• Organised the calendars of senior management and handled phone and email correspondence
• Took a four-month career sabbatical between April and August 2022 to travel across South America

Additional information

If you took a career break to train, volunteer or gain other useful skills, you may wish to mention it in the additional information at the end of your CV. If you’re listing it here, remember to add the dates of your break as you would in the work experience section. Here’s an example of listing a career break for voluntary work:

Volunteer Nurse, The Gemmill Trust, Bristol, February 2017 – August 2017

• Took a career break to volunteer for a local homeless charity, treating patients on a mobile community health station

Cover letter

If you need to expand upon the details of a career break mentioned on your CV, you can do so in your cover letter . Write a few sentences or a short paragraph explaining your career break and any valuable skills you gained from it. Take a look at the two examples below:

Between October 2012 and April 2013 I took a voluntary career break to project manage a renovation on our family home. During this time I managed the project finances, arranged work schedules with contractors and completed the renovation on time and within budget.

At the age of 32 I took a career break to share childcare responsibilities with my partner. Between the dates of July and December 2017 I assumed main parenting duties, and also dedicated my spare time to learning the Python programming language.

Review the job description and use your career break as an opportunity to show how you’ve developed the key skills and experience the employer is looking for. You don’t need to justify taking a break from your career, but you can show how it makes you a stronger, more suitable candidate.

Valuable Experiences and Skills During Career Break

While you might be nervous about drawing attention to a career break on your CV, there are plenty of positives to highlighting it. A career break could provide a valuable opportunity to learn new skills that you wouldn’t otherwise have had the chance to develop. This might be new language skills gained while travelling, transferable skills learned through parenting or caring for family members, or specific self-development or training you chose to pursue while you were away from work.

It’s essential to frame your career break as a positive for your experience, skills and overall employability. Think about how the time off helped you develop as a person, and what skills from that time you can offer to any new role. Consider the skills and experience listed in the job description and tease out any relevant experiences or achievements from your career break that can help make you a better fit for the role.

"While you might be nervous about drawing attention to a career break on your CV, there are plenty of positives to highlighting it."

Tips for Including a Career Break on Your CV

Follow these quick tips to ensure you turn your career break into a net positive for your CV and job applications:

• List your career break clearly: don’t omit your break or to hide it somewhere the hiring manager won’t notice it. Lying on a CV is never a good idea, and can even be illegal. Be upfront about your break so there are no gaps in your CV.
• Present your professional development: explain how your career break has helped you to learn new and valuable skills. If you took part in any formal training during your break, be sure to mention this.
• Show your skills are up-to-date: prove that your career break hasn’t made you a less-qualified, less-relevant candidate by ensuring your CV shows evidence that you’re familiar with the latest industry trends and developments.
• Use your CV and cover letter: if you feel you need more space to justify your career break and explain its positive impact on your career, use your cover letter to add further detail.

Key Takeaways for Adding Career Breaks to Your CV

It’s always better to mention your career break rather than try to cover it up. Adding your career break to your CV can even be a positive, allowing you to showcase experience from your break that other candidates may not have. Jobseeker’s CV templates can help you to create a stylish, professional CV to showcase your skills and achievements in the best possible light. Sign up today to access a wealth of tools and CV articles to help your applications. You can also find help with your cover letter with our cover letter articles .

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