How to Showcase Volunteer Work on Your Resume

Volunteer work is more than just a generous use of your spare time—it’s a valuable part of your experience that can significantly boost your resume. Whether you’ve spent weekends helping out at a local charity, organised community events, or contributed your skills to non-profit organisations, volunteering demonstrates qualities that employers are increasingly eager to see. These include commitment, teamwork, communication, leadership, and a willingness to go beyond the call of duty.

However, many people are unsure how to include volunteer work on their resume in a way that truly highlights its value. Some worry it might appear irrelevant, while others simply don’t know the best way to present it alongside paid employment. The truth is, when done well, showcasing your volunteer experience can be a game-changer, especially if you’re switching industries, starting your career, or returning to work after a break.

In this blog, I’ll guide you through the why, what, and how of including volunteer work on your resume, with practical tips on making it stand out to recruiters.

Why Volunteer Work Matters on Your Resume

Employers today look beyond just formal job titles and paid experience. They want to see the whole person—your character, your values, and your ability to contribute meaningfully in a team or community setting. Volunteer work is a strong indicator of these qualities.

For many roles, particularly those in non-profits, community services, education, health, and customer-facing positions, volunteering can demonstrate relevant skills and experiences. Even in industries where volunteer work might not seem directly related, it can showcase transferable skills like project management, communication, leadership, and problem-solving.

Volunteer experience also provides insights into your personality and work ethic. It often reflects self-motivation, reliability, and empathy—all qualities that employers value but don’t always see in paid roles.

Additionally, if you’re at a point in your career where you have limited paid experience, volunteer work can help fill gaps and show continuous professional development.

What Volunteer Work to Include on Your Resume

Not all volunteer work needs to be included, but if it’s relevant or highlights useful skills, it deserves a place on your resume. Think about the roles where you made a real impact, learned something new, or contributed in a way that reflects your professional goals.

Start by reflecting on the kinds of volunteer activities that have helped you develop skills or knowledge. Did you lead a fundraising campaign? Organise an event? Train new volunteers? Manage social media for a charity? Each of these activities showcases a variety of competencies.

You should also consider the organisation’s reputation and the relevance to your target role. Volunteering for a well-known local charity or community group can have more weight than informal, occasional volunteer acts. If you’re applying for a job in social services, your volunteer work with a community centre or aged care group will be particularly relevant.

How to Incorporate Volunteer Work into Your Resume

There are a few ways to present volunteer work on your resume, depending on your overall experience and the role you’re applying for.

If your volunteer work is highly relevant and demonstrates critical skills, consider creating a separate section titled something like “Volunteer Experience,” “Community Involvement,” or “Volunteer Work.” Treat it much like paid employment by listing the role, organisation, dates, and your key responsibilities and achievements.

For example, you might write:

Community Coordinator — Green Valley Food Bank, Melbourne

January 2022 – Present

Organise weekly food distribution, coordinate a team of 15 volunteers, and develop social media campaigns that increased community engagement by 25%.

If your volunteer experience is less central but still worth mentioning, you could include it under a broader section such as “Additional Experience” or “Other Experience.” This is a useful strategy if you want to keep the focus on paid work but still highlight your volunteering.

For those just starting out or making a career change, where paid roles might be limited or unrelated, your volunteer work can be given prominence near the top of your resume. Here, it demonstrates commitment and practical experience to prospective employers.

Writing About Volunteer Work: Focus on Impact and Skills

One of the most important things when including volunteer work on your resume is to focus on your contributions and the skills you demonstrated or gained. Avoid simply listing your duties. Instead, show the impact of your work.

Employers want to see outcomes. Did your efforts help increase donations, recruit more volunteers, raise awareness, or improve community services? Highlighting tangible results shows that your volunteer role wasn’t just a box-ticking exercise but a meaningful part of your professional development.

Try to use action-oriented language. Words like “coordinated,” “led,” “developed,” “trained,” “organised,” and “initiated” convey a sense of leadership and initiative. It’s also helpful to quantify your impact where possible, such as the number of people you managed, the amount of funds raised, or the growth in community participation.

For example, instead of saying, “Helped with event organisation,” say something like, “Led a team to organise a community fundraiser event attended by over 300 people, raising $10,000 for local shelters.”

Tailoring Volunteer Work to the Job You’re Applying For

Just like with your paid work experience, tailoring your volunteer work to the job is key. Read the job description carefully and pick out the skills and attributes the employer is looking for. Then, select volunteer experiences that align with these requirements.

If the role emphasises teamwork, highlight volunteer experiences where you worked closely with others to achieve a goal. For leadership roles, focus on times when you took charge of a project or led a team. If communication is critical, discuss experiences where you engaged with the public, wrote newsletters, or managed social media.

Tailoring also means choosing the right language. Use the same keywords found in the job description when describing your volunteer work. This helps get your resume noticed, especially if employers use software to screen applications.

Including Volunteer Work in Your Cover Letter and Interviews

Your resume isn’t the only place to showcase your volunteer work. If volunteering is a significant part of your experience or personal story, mention it in your cover letter. Explain why it matters to you, what you’ve learned, and how it’s shaped your professional development.

During interviews, be ready to talk about your volunteer work. Often, interviewers ask behavioural questions like, “Can you give an example of when you demonstrated leadership or teamwork?” Volunteer roles provide excellent real-life examples to draw from. Talking passionately about your volunteering can also reveal your values and personality, making you a more memorable candidate.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

While volunteer work can be a strong asset on your resume, there are some things to keep in mind to ensure it adds value.

Don’t overstate or exaggerate your role or achievements. Be honest and specific about what you did and your impact.

Avoid listing too many minor or unrelated volunteer activities without context. Instead, pick the most relevant experiences and provide details that show your contributions.

Make sure your volunteer work is presented professionally—use the same formatting and style as the rest of your resume.

Lastly, if your volunteer work spans a long time, use the dates appropriately but focus on recent or most relevant experience to keep your resume concise.

Final Thoughts

Volunteer work can be a hidden gem on your resume. It shows that you’re proactive, community-minded, and eager to develop skills beyond your paid roles. Whether you’re applying for your first job, switching careers, or seeking to make a positive impression, showcasing your volunteer experience thoughtfully can make all the difference.

Remember to focus on your achievements and the skills you’ve gained, tailor your descriptions to the job you want, and integrate your volunteer work seamlessly alongside your paid employment. By doing this, you’ll present yourself as a well-rounded candidate with both heart and capability.

So next time you update your resume, don’t forget to include your volunteering. It might just be the edge you need to stand out and land the role you’re aiming for.

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