Leveraging your volunteer experience

Volunteering can be a viable route to employment, or a chance to try something new which may lead to a career change. From this perspective, volunteering can be a way of: gaining new skills, knowledge and experience; developing existing skills and knowledge; enhancing a CV; improving one's employment prospects; gaining an accreditation; using one's professional skills and knowledge to benefit others (usually described as pro bono).

Whether you’re a recent grad or a seasoned professional, you might be wondering if you should put volunteer work on your resume. Resume space is valued real estate — so how much of it should you spend on your volunteer experience? If you’re reading this and wondering if you should put volunteer experience on your resume, chances are you should.

Volunteer experience illustrates important skills you possess and shows that you’re involved in your community. This gives the hiring manager a more complete picture of who you are, making you a more compelling candidate. Use your volunteer experience as an opportunity to show a different side of yourself, as well as reinforce the qualities and skills that make you an appealing candidate.

Be concise — describe how great you are in as few words as possible.

And, don’t downplay your experience — you should still take the time to describe your time spent volunteering even if it isn’t directly related to the job at hand. Emphasize the transferable skills you learned while working as a volunteer and describe your duties in quantifiable terms whenever you can.