Volunteering is a great way to show a future employer what you’re passionate about! In the time you’ve spent helping your favorite organization, you’re sure to have picked up some transferable skills along the way. These skills tell employers more about you and can be included in your resume. Resumes come in all shapes and sizes, but the way you list your volunteer experience can be tailored to your personal style. Follow these three steps to highlight what you learned and how you served!
Outline the organization name and a specific volunteer position.
For example, if you worked at the front desk to answer emails and welcome visitors at XYZ Senior Living Community, your position can be listed as Volunteer Administrative Assistant at XYZ Senior Living Community.
Highlight two to four skills from your volunteer experiences.
Your list can include such items as communication with a variety of people, collaboration with teams, and newly gained on-the-job skills.
Write a sentence that starts with an action verb and includes the skills you have identified.
This sentence should focus on the skills you gained along with the results from your contributions. Example: Managed website and social media, including graphic design and story content, which raised $4,257,143.23 for Riley Hospital for Children (Position Indiana Dance Marathon Marketing Chair)
Note: Resumes do not usually need to include end punctuation (i.e. “.”,”?”,”!”)
See the following example: