Use the Volunteering Section to Show Ways You Give Back to Others

How are you using the Volunteering section of your LinkedIn profile to show ways you give back to others? Populating this section shows that we are much more than what we do for a living.

Many types of volunteer roles can be appropriate for this section – from positions in nonprofits to leadership posts in business organizations.

I find that over the years that I’ve been active on LinkedIn, people have used the volunteering section for a wide range of ways that they contribute to their communities and beyond.

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What to Include in the Volunteering Section

• The name and a short description of the organization where you volunteer(ed)
• Your position(s) as a volunteer

• The period in which you are currently volunteering or previously volunteered with the organization
• Description of your volunteer contributions, especially any leadership roles

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Types of Organizations to Include in the Volunteering Section

When you think of volunteering, you might list only the charitable organizations that you are involved with.

?Broaden your scope to include a wide variety of organizations, such as:?

• Professional Associations – These roles could include:

o?? Committee or board member

o?? Speaker coordinator

o?? Fundraiser

o?? Social media manager

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• Business Organizations – Examples could include:

o?? Chambers of commerce

o?? Business networking organizations

o?? Groups focused on entrepreneurs or startups

o?? Specialized groups related to business activity, such as groups related to digital networking or people who are in the business-to-business space

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• Community Organizations – Examples could include:

o?? Service clubs, e.g., Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, Optimists

o?? Toastmasters clubs

o?? Faith communities

o?? Organizations serving children and families, e.g., Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, 4-H Clubs

o?? School-related organizations, e.g., PTA, band boosters

o?? Sports teams, e.g., coaching youth and adult sports teams

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Other Considerations

• As a job seeker, you may want to reference only those organizations in which you use(d) skills relevant to the job type you are looking to land.
• Speaking of skills, to associate a skill with any position in the Volunteering section, go to your Skills section, click on the pencil icon, click on the pencil icon to the right of the skill, and then click on the box next to the volunteer position where you use(d) that skill. Then click on Save.
• If you’ve been extensively involved in volunteer roles in an organization over many years, consider consolidating your involvement into one position. You could use the title “Volunteer Leadership Roles.” Start by briefly describing the organization. List the positions you’ve held.
• If there is a position or two that you especially want to showcase in this section, you can move that position(s) higher in the section. Do this reordering by clicking on the pencil to the right of the word Volunteering. Then click on the icon with an arrow pointing up and one pointing down. Put your cursor on the four horizontal lines next to the volunteer position and drag it to the spot where you want it to be.

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I help people, especially those age 55 and up, to become more effective using social media, especially LinkedIn and Facebook. I work with business owners, business development professionals, business consultants, job seekers, and more. Learn more at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com

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