Welcome back, resume warriors! We've got fresh ideas to share for March 2022.
Resume Tip #17 - Adding a Volunteer Section
A volunteer work or community outreach section is an excellent way for a young person or new worker to beef up their one-pager. And sometimes for a more experienced hiree, it can set you apart from other candidates. This portion of your resume can really give your prospective an employer an idea of you as a person and what you're like outside of work.
What sort of volunteer experience is worth noting? You'd be surprised! Did you participate in events with your church? Maybe you coached a peewee sport team or helped the local theater put on a play. Did you serve food or assist patrons at a soup kitchen? Or perhaps you helped shelve materials and clean at the library one summer.
Some may say that a volunteer history section is a bad idea because it implies you might be willing to work for less or for free. That's not true! It can really illustrate your levels of dedication and caring.
The best way to format your volunteer history is the same way we would for work experience or job positions in general. Include the name of the facility or the organization. Your responsibilities, activities, and duties. Location may or may not be relevant depending on the amount of space left on the one page. Try not to go over one page, that's another tip. Did you assist a higher up? Did you organize supplies? Maybe you coordinated or events?
Now, keep in mind, a volunteering section is definitely not a requirement. If your experience with certain groups is more than 5-10 years in the past, it's probably not worth including. It's also okay if you don't have any volunteer work to include. Plenty of people are busy enough with their time taken up by family and friends as well. But it's nice to fill space or gaps and to give potential employers a look at your interests.
Until next month, job seekers! Remember to ask your local library for help with your job search or resume updates. They can be an excellent resource!
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