How do you show potential employers the value of your volunteer work?

1 Highlight relevant skills

One of the main benefits of volunteering is that it allows you to develop and demonstrate skills that are transferable to the workplace. For example, if you volunteered as a tutor, you can highlight your communication, teaching, and mentoring skills. If you volunteered as a fundraiser, you can highlight your sales, marketing, and networking skills. If you volunteered as a project manager, you can highlight your leadership, organization, and problem-solving skills. The key is to identify the skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for, and provide specific examples of how you used them in your volunteer work.

2 Quantify your impact

Another way to show the value of your volunteer work is to quantify your impact. This means using numbers, percentages, or other metrics to measure the results of your volunteer work. For example, you can mention how many people you helped, how much money you raised, how much time you saved, or how much you improved a process or a service. Quantifying your impact can help you demonstrate your achievements, show your contribution, and impress potential employers with your effectiveness.

3 Customize your resume

Your resume is your first opportunity to showcase your volunteer work to potential employers. However, you don't want to list all your volunteer work in a separate section at the end of your resume, as this may make it seem less important or relevant. Instead, you want to integrate your volunteer work into your resume, and customize it according to the job description. For example, you can include your volunteer work under your work experience section, if it is related to the role you are applying for, or under your skills section, if it showcases specific skills that are required for the role. You can also use keywords and phrases from the job description to highlight the alignment between your volunteer work and the role.

4 Showcase your passion

Your cover letter is your chance to showcase your passion for the role and the organization you are applying for. One way to do that is to mention your volunteer work and how it reflects your values, interests, and goals. For example, you can explain why you chose to volunteer for a certain cause or organization, what you learned from your volunteer work, and how it inspired you to pursue the role. You can also show how your volunteer work complements your professional experience and skills, and how it can help you add value to the organization.

5 Prepare for the interview

Your interview is your opportunity to elaborate on your volunteer work and how it makes you a suitable candidate for the role. However, you don't want to assume that the interviewer knows everything about your volunteer work, or that they will ask you about it. Instead, you want to prepare for the interview by reviewing your resume and cover letter, and identifying the key points and examples that you want to highlight about your volunteer work. You also want to research the organization and the role, and think of ways to connect your volunteer work to their mission, vision, and values. Finally, you want to practice answering common interview questions, and incorporate your volunteer work into your answers whenever relevant and appropriate.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?