by Ying Yang

Created on: April 12, 2011   Last Updated: April 13, 2011

Volunteer work can show potential employers a lot about your skills and personality, but how can you leverage it to make your resume stand out above the rest?

1. Do a self-assessment.

Make a list of all the things you have done as a volunteer and the skills and knowledge you have gained. Try to relate specific tasks to an attribute that employers seek. Highlight some of the key skills that you feel should be displayed in all your resumes. Also, identify skills that you have gained through volunteer work that you haven’t had in other paid jobs. Always refer back to this self-assessment and continue adding to the list. It will also provide a good database of anecdotes that you can use in interviews to demonstrate your skills.

2. Research the employer.

Each resume and cover letter you write should be tailored specifically to the employer you are approaching. Do some research into the employer and find out as much as you can about the position you are applying for. Identify specific skills that they need which you can offer, and relate the skill to an example from your self-assessment list. If possible, find out what businesses and causes they have ties to as this may inform what sort of volunteer work you want to display or emphasize on your resume.

3.   Word it professionally.

When you write your resume, using the appropriate writing style and language is hugely important. Take the ideas from your self-assessment and research and condense them down into a few concise, strong sentences. Use active verbs and professional language that employers like to read and hear. For example, “I was tasked with documenting volunteer contact details and filing them away for later use” could become “I built internal capacity by collating volunteer contact lists and ensuring greater accessibility.”

4. Emphasize responsibility and professionalism.

Just because volunteer work isn’t a paid job, it doesn’t mean you don’t value it as such. Use your volunteer experience to showcase professionalism and responsibility. In fact, employers may appreciate these qualities even more if they know that you worked voluntarily and not just because you were paid to do it. It shows that you are self-motivated, passionate about your cause and have strong values and commitment. Using volunteer experience to demonstrate these qualities is particularly useful if you are a new graduate and do not have any prior work experience.

Employers get hundreds of resumes on their desks every day. Showcasing your volunteer work can be an excellent way to distinguish yourself from the competition. Use your volunteer experience to demonstrate skills, motivation and professionalism. Make it clear that you can transfer these qualities to a new job, and an employer may just be willing to offer you one.  

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