ResumeToolsResources

How to Show Volunteering Work on Your Resume in 2024

By Silvia Angeloro

Oct 22, 2024

|

12 min read

Adding this extra to your resume can swiftly elevate your application!

Volunteering is a surefire way to accelerate your career while giving back to the community. The fact that you’ve willingly given your time to a cause should be commended. So, don’t be afraid to brag about it.

One place you can “toot your own horn” is on your resume. Sharing your previous volunteering work on your resume is a quick way to demonstrate your transferable skills, highlight your work ethic, and showcase your community engagement.

Plus, if you’re switching careers, have gaps on your resume, or are new to the workforce, having volunteer experience on your resume can make a world of difference. In this guide, we take a look at how to list this type of work on your resume the correct way.

Key takeaways

  • Including volunteering work on your resume is a speedy way to impress the hiring manager.
  • Make sure that the experience is highly relevant to the position and the company.
  • Highlight the transferable and soft skills you developed during the experience.
  • Always add clear metrics that pinpoint the exact impact your work had.
  • Format your volunteering experience clearly! There are three approaches you can use.
Is your resume good enough?

Drop your resume here or choose a file.
PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

Privacy guaranteed

Benefits of including volunteer work on your resume

Before we dive into how to list volunteer work on a resume, let’s talk about why you should bother. No matter where you are in your career, you can benefit from adding this to your application.

Why you need volunteer work on your resume

  • Showcase your skills: Regardless of the type of volunteering you’ve done, you’ll have picked up a range of soft skills. This experience may have bolstered your communication capabilities, your organizational skills, and your time management.
  • Fill in any career gaps: There’s nothing wrong with taking a career break. According to a 2023 report, almost 70% of American workers have taken a break at some point. While you were out of work, did you volunteer? If so, you should include this on your resume to show the hiring manager that you still gained new experiences.
  • Detail your ‘cultural fit’: If you’re applying to work at a business that values community service, adding this to your resume is a smart move. It’s a smooth way to let the hiring manager know you’re a good fit for the company. Consider the values that the business has and allow that to guide this important decision.
  • Demonstrate your commitment: When you’ve volunteered for a long period, it shows real commitment. Hiring managers are always looking out for professionals that will stand the test of time in the business. Be clear about how long you’ve volunteered for and how frequently you give your time to this cause.

How to prepare your volunteer experience for your resume

Now that you know the value of writing volunteer work on your resume, we can talk about the right way to do it. Ahead of working on this section of your resume, there are some things you should do.

To make things easy for you, we’ve broken this part down into three simple steps:

Step 1: Select only relevant volunteer experience  

Whether it’s pro-bono work or non-profit work, you need to make sure this experience is relevant to the vacancy and company. Start by researching the business you’re applying to work at. Is there a specific overlap between the volunteering work you did and this role? Did you learn transferable skills that relate directly to this vacancy? You can be certain that including this experience will strengthen your resume.

Step 2: Be specific about the skills you learned

It’s no good simply stating that you have volunteering experience. Add detail by specifying what skills you picked up as a direct result. You can do this using targeted bullet points. Within these points, mention the skills that you either learned or developed while you were in the thick of volunteering.

Looking for some inspiration? Check out these examples where we’ve bolded the skills listed:

  • "Developed project management skills by coordinating a team of volunteers for a community clean-up, resulting in the removal of 500 pounds of litter from local parks."
  • "Volunteered abroad to build clean water systems in rural communities, using teamwork and organizational skills.”
  • “Facilitated cross-cultural exchange programs for international students, improving existing Spanish language skills and cultural understanding.”

Step 3: Strengthen your case with clear metrics

Hiring managers love to see results. One of the best ways to strengthen your volunteering experience section is to add some cold, hard metrics into the mix. Include either statistics or numbers in your statements as an impact measurement. This approach will give the hiring manager a clear indication of how your volunteering work changed the lives of people in need.

Let’s take a look at some examples of what you may write with the metrics in bold:

  • “Organized community events that increased participant attendance by 50%, fostering greater community involvement."
  • "Streamlined the volunteer onboarding process, reducing training time by 30% and improving volunteer retention rates."
  • "Coordinated a campaign that successfully influenced local legislation, resulting in the allocation of $50,000 in new funding for community development projects."

Always ask the question ‘why?’

Before including volunteering work on your resume, ask yourself why it matters. What does this experience tell the reader about you? Does it add significant value to your application?

It’s important to understand why you’re sharing this information. Armed with that knowledge, you can ensure the bullet points you include align with your central goal.

How to list volunteer work on your resume: Three examples

By this point, you may be feeling ready to add your volunteering work to your resume. However, where you list it depends on two things: your resume format and your career level.

If you’re scratching your head and don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place. In this section, we reveal the best way to highlight your volunteer experience.

1. Include it in your work experience section

If you’re using a chronological resume format or your volunteering experience took place during a career gap, you may want to add it to your work experience. Of course, you should check that you have enough space before you do this. Add the position as you would any other role, but label it as “volunteer”.

Work Experience
Volunteer Coordinator
Local Community Shelter
New York, NY
Organized and led volunteer efforts at a community shelter, focusing on event coordination, fundraising, and team management.
  • Coordinated weekly volunteer schedules for 30+ volunteers, improving team efficiency by 25%.
  • Led fundraising campaigns that raised $15,000 in donations to support shelter operations.
  • Organized community outreach events, increasing local awareness and volunteer engagement by 40%.

2. Add it to your skills section

On the other hand, you may be using a functional resume format. This structure lists your main skills and then groups corresponding experiences by them. Chances are, you’re not used to this type of resume. However, this approach works well for people who have had varied careers or career changers.

Skills
Project Management
Fundraising
Team Leadership

3. Create a volunteer experience section

Let’s say that you have a few volunteering experiences you want to share. If that’s the case, it may be worth creating a dedicated volunteer section, which is separate from your main experience section. The layout of this section follows the same rules—starting with your position name and including bullet points.

Volunteer Experience
Volunteer Coordinator
Community Outreach Program
New York, NY
Coordinated and managed a team of volunteers for various community service projects, including educational workshops and environmental initiatives.
  • Led a team of 20 volunteers in organizing educational workshops for underprivileged youth, improving school engagement by 30%.
  • Managed environmental clean-up efforts, resulting in the removal of 500 pounds of litter from local parks.
  • Recruited and trained 50+ volunteers, improving the program's reach and effectiveness.

Think long and hard about which approach you want to take. In our drag-and-drop resume builder, you can find a selection of resume templates using the different formats that make creating yours easy.

Examples of volunteer work on a resume

Fundraiser officer example

Volunteer Experience
Fundraiser Officer
Charity Fundraising Initiative
Los Angeles, CA
Managed and executed fundraising strategies to support various community projects, overseeing donor relations and event planning.
  • Raised over $50,000 through annual fundraising campaigns, surpassing targets by 20% each year.
  • Organized charity events with 200+ attendees, increasing awareness and donations for local community causes.
  • Cultivated relationships with major donors and sponsors, resulting in a 25% increase in recurring donations.

Community volunteer example

Volunteer Experience
Community Volunteer
Local Neighborhood Initiative
Chicago, IL
Assisted with various community service activities, focusing on education, environmental sustainability, and event coordination.
  • Organized neighborhood clean-up events, leading to the removal of 300+ pounds of waste and the planting of 100 trees.
  • Coordinated after-school tutoring programs for 50+ students, improving their academic performance by 15%.
  • Helped organize annual community events, attracting over 500 attendees and fostering local engagement.

Pro-bono work example

Pro Bono Experience
Pro Bono Consultant
Non-Profit Legal Aid Organization
San Francisco, CA
Provided pro bono consulting services to non-profits, assisting with strategic planning, legal guidance, and operational improvements.
  • Advised non-profits on legal and regulatory compliance, helping them avoid penalties and improve governance practices.
  • Developed strategic growth plans for three non-profit organizations, enabling them to increase their program capacity by 40%.
  • Conducted operational reviews, identifying inefficiencies that led to a 25% reduction in overhead costs for the organizations.

Non-profit work example

Non-Profit Work
Program Manager
Global Aid Foundation
Washington, DC
Led various projects focused on humanitarian aid, community development, and education programs for underprivileged populations.
  • Oversaw the distribution of $1 million in aid, directly impacting over 10,000 families in need.
  • Developed and managed educational programs that increased school enrollment by 30% in rural communities.
  • Collaborated with local governments and international organizations to implement sustainable community development projects, benefiting over 5,000 individuals.

Conclusion

Volunteer work can significantly increase your chances of landing an interview. When applying for jobs, regularly update your experience and skills sections to reflect any work you’ve done. Remember, you should only include volunteer work that’s relevant to the vacancy and the business at hand.

Side Banner Cta Image

Make job-hunting a breeze!

Build your resume and focus on finding the right job

Build Resume