Should You Put Volunteer Work on Your Resume?
Yes — volunteer experience increases your hiring odds by 27%, and 81% of HR executives say they value skilled volunteering when evaluating candidates. List volunteer work in a dedicated “Volunteer Experience” section after your work experience, formatted like a paid role: title, organisation, dates, and achievement-focused bullet points.
The difference between volunteering that helps your resume and volunteering that wastes space? How you present it. That weekend building houses proves teamwork. Those months tutoring kids? Leadership and communication. The annual fundraiser you chair? Project management and stakeholder coordination.
TL;DR
- Volunteer experience increases hiring odds by 27%
- 41% of hiring managers view it as equal to paid work
- Format like a job: title, organization, dates, achievements
- Best for: entry-level, career changers, gaps, mission-driven roles
- Quantify impact: people helped, funds raised, hours contributed
Why Volunteering Matters to Employers
higher hiring odds
For candidates who include volunteer experience on their resume
Source: University of North Carolina Study
of HR executives
Say they value skilled volunteering when evaluating candidates
Source: Deloitte Impact Survey
But why? What does volunteering actually prove?
What Employers See in Volunteer Experience
| Trait | What Volunteering Demonstrates |
|---|---|
| Initiative | You do things without being paid to do them |
| Values Alignment | You care about community and impact beyond yourself |
| Leadership | Many volunteers take on coordination roles |
| Soft Skills | Communication, teamwork, adaptability |
| Work Ethic | You give up free time to contribute |
| Curiosity | You’re willing to learn outside your comfort zone |
When two candidates have similar qualifications, the one with meaningful volunteer work usually wins. It shows character, not just competence.
What Counts as Volunteer Work on a Resume?
Not sure if your experience qualifies? Here’s what employers recognise as volunteer work:
Whichever kind you list, the layout does the heavy lifting — browse ATS-safe templates that already include a volunteer section.
| Counts as Volunteering ✅ | Doesn't Count ❌ |
|---|---|
| Nonprofit board member or committee service | One-time donations to charity |
| Regular volunteering at a shelter, food bank, or hospital | Attending a fundraising gala as a guest |
| Pro bono consulting or professional services | Liking a nonprofit's social media posts |
| Coaching a youth sports team | Occasionally helping a friend move |
| Organising community events or fundraisers | Signing an online petition |
| Mentoring students or junior professionals | Being a passive member of a club |
| Open-source software contributions | Watching charity streams |
| Religious community service (teaching, outreach, events) | Simply attending religious services |
| Disaster relief or crisis response volunteering | Retweeting a GoFundMe link |
The test: Did you actively give your time and skills to help others without being paid? If yes, it’s volunteer work. The key is active involvement with responsibilities — not passive participation.
Types of Volunteer Work Employers Value Most
| Type | Examples | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled volunteering | Pro bono legal work, free graphic design, IT support for nonprofits | Demonstrating professional expertise |
| Board/governance | Nonprofit board member, committee chair, advisory roles | Senior professionals showing leadership beyond day job |
| Community service | Food bank, Habitat for Humanity, animal shelter, tutoring | Entry-level and career changers building experience |
| Mentorship | Big Brothers Big Sisters, industry mentoring, career coaching | Mid-career professionals showing leadership development |
| Event/fundraising | Organising charity runs, galas, community festivals | Showing project management and coordination skills |
| Open source | Contributing to GitHub projects, maintaining community tools | Tech professionals building a public track record |
When to Include Volunteer Work
Include Volunteering When...
These situations make volunteer experience valuable resume real estate.
1. You’re Entry-Level or a Recent Graduate
Limited paid experience? Volunteering fills the gap and proves you’ve done something beyond classes.
For entry-level resumes, your volunteer leadership role might be your strongest qualification.
2. You’re Changing Careers
Volunteering in your target field proves interest and builds relevant skills before you have paid experience. See our career change resume guide for how to position this transition.
“I volunteered as a marketing coordinator for a nonprofit before transitioning from teaching to marketing full-time.”
3. You Have Employment Gaps
Volunteer work during gaps shows you stayed active and productive:
- “During a career break, I volunteered 20 hours/week as a program coordinator for Habitat for Humanity”
4. Volunteering Is Directly Relevant to the Role
Applying to a nonprofit? Social impact company? Healthcare system? Mission-driven organization?
Your volunteer work isn’t just filler—it’s proof you care about the same things they do.
5. You Want to Show Values and Culture Fit
For companies that emphasize culture and values, volunteering reveals who you are as a person.
Where to Put Volunteer Work on Your Resume
It depends on your situation:
Option 1: Dedicated Section (Most Common)
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Board Member | Local Food Bank
January 2022 – Present
• [Bullet points]
Event Coordinator | Community Arts Festival
March 2020 – December 2021
• [Bullet points]Placement: After Work Experience, before or after Skills
Option 2: Within Work Experience (When Very Relevant)
If your volunteering is directly relevant to the job and demonstrates key skills, include it alongside paid work:
EXPERIENCE
Marketing Manager | TechCorp Inc.
2022 – Present
• [Paid work bullets]
Marketing Volunteer | Nonprofit XYZ
2020 – 2022
• [Volunteer bullets—clearly labeled]Option 3: Combined “Experience & Leadership” Section
For entry-level candidates mixing work, volunteering, and extracurriculars:
EXPERIENCE & LEADERSHIP
IT Help Desk Technician | University of Texas | 2023 – Present
• [Work bullets]
Vice President | Computer Science Student Association | 2022 – 2024
• [Volunteer/leadership bullets]
Tech Mentor | Code.org | 2021 – 2023
• [Volunteer bullets]How ATS Systems Handle Volunteer Experience
Most Applicant Tracking Systems treat volunteer experience the same as paid work — if you format it correctly. Here’s what matters:
Once your volunteer section is in place, score your resume now to see how the parser actually reads it.
- 1
Use a standard section heading
Label it 'Volunteer Experience' or 'Community Involvement' — not 'Giving Back' or 'My Impact.' ATS systems look for recognisable section labels.
- 2
Mirror job description keywords
If the posting mentions 'project management' and you managed volunteer projects, use the exact phrase. Our Keyword Scanner can check your match rate against any job description.
- 3
Format identically to work experience
Title, organisation, dates, bullet points. ATS parsers expect consistent formatting across sections.
- 4
Include it after work experience
Most ATS systems weight sections by position. Work experience first, then volunteer. Exception: entry-level candidates where volunteer IS your main experience.
ATS Keyword Tip
Volunteer work is an excellent place to naturally include keywords that don’t fit in your paid work experience. If a job asks for “community outreach” or “stakeholder engagement” and your volunteer role involved those skills, include them with the exact phrasing from the job posting. Use our Keyword Scanner to identify gaps.
Use ATS-friendly fonts and proper formatting throughout — including your volunteer section. Avoid tables, columns, or graphics that ATS systems may not parse correctly.
Volunteer Experience Resume Examples by Industry
The best volunteer entries match your target industry. Here’s what strong volunteer experience looks like across four major sectors:
Technology
Tech volunteering shows hands-on skills and community investment:
- Code mentorship (Code.org, Girls Who Code, local bootcamps) — demonstrates teaching ability and deep technical knowledge
- Open-source contributions — proves collaboration skills and self-directed engineering
- Nonprofit IT support — shows you can troubleshoot, manage systems, and communicate with non-technical users
Example bullet: “Mentored 12 bootcamp students in full-stack JavaScript, with 10 securing junior developer roles within 3 months.”
Healthcare
Healthcare volunteering proves empathy, reliability, and patient-facing skills:
- Hospital volunteering — patient intake, comfort rounding, administrative support
- Crisis hotline work — active listening, de-escalation, emotional resilience
- Health education outreach — community workshops, screening event coordination
Example bullet: “Staffed crisis hotline 10 hours/week, supporting 200+ callers annually with mental health resources and referrals.”
Business & Finance
Business-oriented volunteering signals leadership, strategic thinking, and financial literacy:
- Nonprofit board service — governance, fundraising strategy, fiduciary oversight
- Pro bono consulting (Taproot Foundation, Catchafire) — strategy, operations, marketing
- Financial literacy teaching — VITA tax prep, budgeting workshops for underserved communities
Example bullet: “Served as Board Treasurer for community nonprofit, managing $180K annual budget and achieving 100% audit compliance for 3 consecutive years.”
Education
Education volunteering highlights communication, patience, and program development:
- Tutoring and mentoring — math, reading, SAT prep, college application coaching
- Curriculum development — creating lesson plans for after-school programs
- Youth program leadership — coaching, camp counseling, student organization advising
Example bullet: “Developed after-school STEM curriculum for 40 middle school students, increasing science test scores by 15% over one semester.”
Marketing & Communications
Marketing volunteer work shows creativity, audience awareness, and campaign execution:
- Nonprofit social media management — content creation, audience growth, engagement strategy
- Event promotion — flyer design, email campaigns, community outreach
- PR for local organisations — press releases, media relationships, storytelling
Example bullet: “Managed social media accounts for local animal shelter, growing Instagram from 800 to 3,200 followers (+300%) and increasing adoption inquiries by 45%.”
Legal & Government
Public service volunteering demonstrates advocacy, research ability, and community awareness:
- Legal aid clinics — intake interviews, document preparation, client advocacy
- Voter registration drives — organisation, public outreach, compliance
- Community mediation — conflict resolution, stakeholder communication
Example bullet: “Provided pro bono legal research for 15 immigration cases at community legal clinic, contributing to 12 successful asylum applications.”
Need help turning your volunteer descriptions into achievement-focused bullets? Our AI Bullet Point Generator can transform any volunteer experience into a quantified, professional statement.
How to Format Volunteer Entries
Treat volunteering like a job—because it is one (just unpaid).
The Structure
[Role/Title] | [Organization Name]
[City, State or Remote] | [Date Range]
• [Achievement bullet with quantified impact]
• [Achievement bullet with skills demonstrated]
• [Achievement bullet with scope/responsibility]Example Entries
Nonprofit Program Coordinator:
Program Coordinator | Big Brothers Big Sisters
Austin, TX | March 2022 – Present
- Matched and onboarded 45 mentor-mentee pairs, achieving 92% relationship retention rate
- Organized 6 community events with 200+ attendees, raising $18K in annual funding
- Trained 20+ new volunteers on organization protocols and child safety procedures
Community Tutor:
Volunteer Math Tutor | Austin Public Library
Austin, TX | September 2021 – May 2023
- Tutored 15 middle school students weekly in algebra and geometry
- Developed custom curriculum that improved average student grades by one letter grade
- Created 25+ study guides now used by other volunteer tutors in the program
Board Member:
Board Treasurer | Local Animal Rescue
Remote | January 2020 – Present
- Managed $250K annual operating budget, ensuring 100% audit compliance
- Implemented new donor management system, increasing repeat donations by 35%
- Led financial planning for shelter expansion project ($150K capital campaign)
Event Volunteer:
Event Volunteer | American Red Cross
Houston, TX | 2019 – 2021
- Supported 12 blood drive events, assisting 500+ donors through registration and recovery
- Trained 8 new volunteers on event setup and donor care protocols
- Received “Outstanding Volunteer” recognition for 150+ hours of service
How to Write Volunteer Achievement Bullets
Use the same techniques as paid work: quantify your impact. Start each bullet with a strong action verb. If you’re unsure how much to embellish a volunteer role name, the same limits apply as with job titles on resume.
- 1
Start with an action verb
Led, Organized, Managed, Coordinated, Trained, Raised
- 2
Describe what you did
What was your role or responsibility?
- 3
Add quantified impact
People helped, dollars raised, events organized, hours contributed
- 4
Show the outcome
What improved or changed because of your work?
Before & After Examples
| Weak ❌ | Strong ✅ |
|---|---|
| Helped with fundraising | Raised $12K through corporate sponsorship outreach and peer-to-peer campaign management |
| Tutored students | Tutored 20 students weekly in SAT prep, improving average scores by 150 points |
| Volunteered at animal shelter | Socialised 100+ shelter dogs, increasing adoption rates by 25% |
| Assisted with events | Coordinated logistics for 5 community events with 500+ total attendees |
| Managed social media | Grew nonprofit Instagram from 800 to 3,200 followers (+300%), driving 45% increase in enquiries |
| Helped train new volunteers | Designed and delivered onboarding programme for 30+ new volunteers, reducing first-month attrition by 40% |
| Worked in the food bank | Sorted and distributed food parcels to 150+ families weekly, streamlining inventory tracking system |
| Was a board member | Oversaw $250K annual budget as Board Treasurer, achieving 100% audit compliance across 3 fiscal years |
Volunteer Work for Specific Situations
Entry-Level Candidates
Volunteer work can be a primary resume section. Place it prominently. Our AI Bullet Point Generator turns basic volunteer descriptions into quantified accomplishments — just describe what you did and AI writes the bullet points. For resume structure help, see our entry-level resume guide.
LEADERSHIP & VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
President | Marketing Club | University of Texas
August 2022 – May 2024
• Grew membership from 45 to 120 students (+167%)
• Organized 8 speaker events featuring marketing executives from HubSpot, Google, and LinkedIn
• Managed social media strategy, growing Instagram following by 400%
Volunteer Marketing Coordinator | Austin Humane Society
May 2023 – Present
• Created email campaigns reaching 5,000+ newsletter subscribers
• Designed adoption promotion graphics increasing inquiries by 30%Career Changers
Show you’ve been building skills in your target field:
Volunteer Data Analyst | Nonprofit Environmental Watch
Remote | 2023 – Present
- Analyzed donation patterns across 10K+ donors, identifying segments that increased retention by 18%
- Built Tableau dashboard tracking environmental impact metrics, now used in quarterly board presentations
- Collaborated with marketing team on data-driven campaign optimization
This proves you have data skills even if your paid job hasn’t required them yet.
Employment Gaps
Frame volunteering as how you stayed productive:
Volunteer Coordinator | Habitat for Humanity (during career break)
Dallas, TX | January 2022 – June 2023
- Managed scheduling for 50+ volunteers across 8 build projects
- Liaised between construction crew, volunteers, and homeowner families
- Contributed 600+ personal volunteer hours while coordinating others
Volunteer Work and LinkedIn
Bonus insight: volunteer work on LinkedIn increases profile views.
more profile views
For LinkedIn profiles that include volunteer experience
Source: LinkedIn Study
Make sure your resume and LinkedIn volunteer sections align. See our guide on LinkedIn profile optimisation for how to add volunteer experience to your profile effectively.
What NOT to Include
Not all volunteering helps:
Be Careful With...
- Politically polarizing organizations — Unless applying to aligned organizations
- Religious volunteering — Unless the employer is faith-based or it demonstrates clear skills
- Very old volunteer work — If it was 10+ years ago and you have recent experience, it may not add value
- Minimal involvement — “Donated once to charity” isn’t resume material
Rule of thumb: Include volunteering that demonstrates skills, commitment, and character—not just participation.
Volunteer Section vs Interests Section
Volunteer Experience = Active involvement with achievements (put in a dedicated section)
Interests = Casual mention of causes you support (put in interests/hobbies section if at all)
# Detailed volunteer work → VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE section
Board Member | Food Bank | 2+ years of active service
# Casual involvement → INTERESTS section (optional)
Interests: Volunteer dog walking, environmental advocacyQuick Checklist
Before Adding Volunteer Work
- Is it relevant to the job or demonstrates transferable skills?
- Can I quantify the impact (people, dollars, hours, events)?
- Did I hold a meaningful role (not just attended once)?
- Is it recent enough to matter (last 5-7 years)?
- Does it add something my paid work doesn't show?
The Interview Payoff
Good volunteer experience creates interview talking points:
- “Tell me about a time you led a team” → Your volunteer coordination role
- “What are you passionate about?” → Your cause-focused work
- “How do you handle challenges?” → Problem-solving in under-resourced environments
Hiring managers love candidates who have stories beyond “I did my job.”
Your Move
Look at your resume right now. If you have volunteer experience that demonstrates skills, values, or fills gaps — add it. Format it like a job. Quantify the impact.
Not sure how to write the bullet points? Our AI Bullet Point Generator transforms basic descriptions into achievement-focused statements. Need help with your resume summary mentioning volunteer work? Try the Resume Summary Generator.
For more ways to strengthen a resume with limited paid experience, see our guides on personal projects, certifications, and skills presentation.
Turn volunteer experience into interview-winning bullets
Our free AI tools help you write achievement-focused bullet points, check ATS keyword match, and build a professional resume — whether you're entry-level, changing careers, or filling a gap.
Try Our Free Resume ToolsRelated Resources
- Entry-Level Resume Guide — Maximizing limited experience
- How to Quantify Achievements — Turn volunteer work into measurable impact
- Career Change Resume — Pivoting with volunteer experience
- Personal Projects on Resume — Another way to show initiative
- Resume Summary vs Objective — Mention volunteering in your summary
- Action Verbs for Resume — Strong verbs for volunteer bullets
- LinkedIn Profile Optimization — Add volunteering to LinkedIn too
- AI Bullet Generator — Transform volunteer descriptions into achievements
- Resume Summary Generator — Mention volunteering in your summary
- Resume Templates — Templates with volunteer sections
- Resume Examples — See volunteer sections in context
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I put volunteer work on my resume?
Yes—if it's relevant to the job, demonstrates valuable skills, fills employment gaps, or shows community involvement. 27% of candidates with volunteer experience are more likely to get hired according to research.
Where does volunteer work go on a resume?
Create a dedicated 'Volunteer Experience' section after Work Experience, or include it under 'Experience' if it's directly relevant to the role. For entry-level candidates, it can go higher on the resume.
How do I describe volunteer work on a resume?
Treat it like paid work: use a job title, organization name, dates, and achievement-focused bullet points. Quantify impact: people helped, funds raised, events organized, improvements made.
Can volunteer work replace work experience?
It can supplement limited work experience, especially for students, career changers, and those with gaps. It demonstrates skills, work ethic, and values—but shouldn't be your only experience if you're mid-career.
How many volunteer experiences should I list?
List 2-3 volunteer experiences maximum. Quality matters more than quantity—choose roles where you had measurable impact, held responsibility, or developed skills relevant to your target job.
Should I include volunteer work if I have plenty of work experience?
Yes, if the volunteer work is relevant to the role, demonstrates leadership beyond your day job, or shows values alignment with the company. Board positions, skilled volunteering, and industry-related nonprofit work add value at any career stage.
How far back should volunteer experience go?
Keep volunteer experience within the last 5-7 years unless the role is highly prestigious (board positions, well-known organizations) or directly relevant to the job. Older volunteer work can be summarized in a single line if needed.
Put this into practice
You have the theory. These take a few minutes and work on the resume you already have.
