How To Add Volunteer Work To Resume

How do you add volunteer work to your resume? If you have worked in a volunteer situation or for a specific volunteer cause, you need to know how to include it appropriately in a professional resume, to give it the attention it deserves. Below are tips on how to include this pertinent information to your resume.

1. Get all Information Together: The first step to including volunteer work is to get all the details and materials that you may have received as a part of your volunteering. This means considering the details of when you volunteered, what you did, and who you were worked for. Moreover, make sure to brainstorm all of your responsibilities and achievements in the way of what you helped the nonprofit or entity achieve their mission.

2. Determine the Right Section: Next, depending on how much volunteer experience and what career experience you have in your history, will determine what kind of section to include it in-and if you should create a whole new section just for this purpose. So, if you have had a lot of volunteer experience, you should include a section entitled Volunteer Work or something to this effect. If, on the other hand, you have volunteered in one establishment; it should be included under a more general section such as one entitled Relevant Work Experience or something like this.

3. Include the Right Details: Make sure when adding volunteer work to your professional work experience in your resume that you include all the details that are necessary for an accurate representation of this work experience. So, include the dates in which you volunteered, where you volunteered, what your key responsibilities were, and in what city and state the volunteer company exists. This way, employers can get an overview of the kind of work you have experience with and the skills you have to offer that are transferable to their open position.

4. Include Accomplishments: Key to the details that you include in your volunteer work experience is that you show areas that you have helped in a bigger accomplishment or accomplished something on your own.

5. Testimonials: If you have letters of recommendation or testimonials offered from your volunteering experience, you should use them to your advantage. In the case of a letter of recommendation, include mention of a letter of recommendation in your cover letter-as an attached letter may be too much information. If, on the other hand, you can garnish testimonials from supervisors and/or colleagues with which you have worked; include a few on your resume under the volunteer work experience. This can help make your volunteer work look more exceptional and powerful with a brief commendation.