Does Volunteering Look Good on a Resume? — The Answer

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Whether you have volunteered to help a community in need or gain professional exposure with the added benefit of helping someone, does it look good on your resume?

Let’s find out!

 

Does volunteering look good on a resume?

Volunteering looks good on a resume because it demonstrates noteworthy traits. It also counts as real work experience, regardless of the scale of the volunteer work, and volunteering requires certain corporate skills every applicant should have. 

 

Volunteering demonstrates valuable traits 

It is very normal to think of someone who volunteers as a good person. 

But how does that translate into the working environment?

Having volunteering experience shows a good work ethic from the start, no matter what tasks the volunteering consisted of.

Certain volunteer work, especially that backed by a cause or movement, shows philanthropy values and social responsibility that an organization could share.

If you have organized a fundraiser or an event to spread awareness about an issue, it could also be a part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.

The best way to determine an organization’s corporate social responsibility is by checking its website.

They will often have a page dedicated to it, and if you have that in common, emphasize your volunteering on your resume.

Volunteering also portrays you as someone who is not only motivated by money. 

It gives your character depth.

Another favorable trait that a recruiter will assume you have because of your volunteer work is being community-minded.

Community-minded people tend to be good teammates in the corporate world, which is an important requirement for many job positions.

 

Volunteering portrays real work experience

Whether you are doing paid or unpaid volunteering, it is still considered work experience. 

Volunteering, in any case, is exposure to a professional setting.

There would have to be a mission plan, possibly a leader and teammates, and the goal of achieving a favorable outcome professionally.

If you are a student or perhaps just did not acquire extensive working experience, highlight your volunteering on your resume.

Recruiters understand the value of a candidate who has volunteered even with their lack of work experience.

Sometimes, it can even make up for missing work requirements, provided the volunteering was relevant and on at least somewhat of a large scale. 

 

Volunteering shows proficiency in corporate skills

Volunteering would have allowed you to polish corporate skills such as leadership, teamwork, communication, and project planning.

Most jobs now would require you to have some level of those fundamental corporate skills.

You could have even gained more advanced skills such as accounting or marketing or technical skills like software development.

If you have developed many of these skills, consider dedicating their own section or at least mention them as core competencies in your professional summary.

If you do not have much work experience, you could make a functional resume that focuses on your skills and lists your volunteer work right underneath them.

Now that you know that volunteering is actually a good thing to include in your resume, here’s how to include volunteering on your resume.