Capitalizing on volunteer and service experiences can be very helpful if you are looking for your first job after school, planning a career move, or returning to work after a hiatus. An important part of the job search process is communicating qualifications to potential employers. For most people the resume becomes the major communication challenge! Ronald and Caryl Rae Krannich, Dynamic Resumes, say: “At the very least a resume represents the unique you to others who may or may not know much about your particular mix of goals and capabilities.”
An effective resume successfully showcases your accomplishment and abilities, some of which may have been gained through volunteer and service experiences. These are just as pertinent and valuable as skills that are gained in paid employment.
The first task is to identify the skills that have been learned and utilized and create skill clusters that are relevant to the position you are applying for. To assess your skills, think first of broad categories such as:
- Interpersonal skills: listening, counseling, collaborating, teamwork, negotiating
- Educational skills: teaching, advising, coaching, facilitating
- Communication skills: interviewing, editing, writing, public speaking, summarizing
- Creative skills: expressive, designing, drafting, innovative
- Analytical skills: observing, reasoning, assessing, analyzing, evaluating
- Problem solving skills: researching, organizing,clarifying, reviewing
- Leadership skills: initiating, managing, planning, motivating, recruiting, leading, promoting
- Management skills: delegating, supervising, hiring, implementing, scheduling, directing
- Technical skills: programming, computing,record keeping, systematizing, accounting
Be as specific as possible in identifying your skills. “Good communication skills” is too broad; “excellent writing and editing skills” is not. Concentrate on essential skills.
Employers are often looking for a general set of aptitudes and personality traits in addition to specific skills, such as: ability to acquire new technical skills quickly; teamwork skills; ability to sell ideas; a strong work ethic; ability to follow instructions; leadership ability; initiative; and reliability. These are the skills and qualities that can be documented for a resume.
When performing volunteer service you can/should request a “documentation of service” statement from a volunteer manager, program director, executive director, committee chair or even a board chair. This written summary of your volunteer accomplishments may contain a position description, including title, duties and responsibilities; skills utilized; dates of service; number of hours contributed; and training received. The letter may also contain a brief evaluation of your performance and overall contribution to the organization.
When building a resume to make a career change, be sure that the documentation of service letter highlights the skills or skill cluster you are working to develop. Organizations should provide performance evaluations for all volunteers, and as a volunteer you have a right to request a statement of how well you performed your duties. Be sure to keep a copy for your files.
Request records of all in-service training, workshops, and conferences you attended. Title, instructor, dates, and a brief summary of the content should be included. Also, maintain copies of any letters of commendation, awards, newspaper articles, etc. that you receive.
Ask for letters of support and reference from you volunteer or service placement. Such letters can speak to personal and work qualities such as dependability, punctuality, creativity, flexibility, etc. as much as to specific skills. These can be especially helpful if you are new to the job market. They help to establish your credibility as a potential worker and support the personal qualities you have identified as important for a particular position.
Experience and education make up the core of your resume. The experience section can include non-paid work, volunteer work, internships, service learning experiences, unstructured work, self-employment, and odd jobs. Search all areas of your background for anything that relates to the specific skills cluster and general attributes your future employer is seeking. Relevant work experience is not limited to paid employment. If you are changing careers and/or exploring new areas, an unpaid experience that allowed you to develop new skills may be a better indicator of your ability to perform in a new area than paid employment in an unrelated area.
Examples of non-paid, nontraditional experiences should be written up just like paid employment. For example:
Public Relations Chair, Northwest Center
Developed and implemented a marketing/public relations strategy for the Northwest Center. Responsible for creating public and media relations efforts for the introduction of a new senior health program, which provided 24-hour emergency care for senior residents. Arranged numerous meetings and interviews with local newspapers, television and radio stations; developing written publications for distribution citywide; and producing an in-house video.
Recreation Center Remodeling Project, Summer, 2000
Organized 120 community volunteers to paint the interior of XYZ Recreation Center. Solicited neighborhood merchants for paint and supplies, including refreshments for all workers. Arranged for local artist to design and paint a mural on entryway walls. Contacted local newspaper and TV for press coverage.
Librarian, Ellis Foundation
Created a library that specialized in volunteer management and board development for the Ellis Foundation and its affiliate members. Created a computerized catalog of all materials, indexed and cross-referenced material, and developed circulation procedures. Developed an annual project budget. Researched materials and recommended new additions. Wrote monthly book reviews for affiliate newsletter. Supervised all local and out of state circulation of materials.
Another option is to list volunteer service under Special Interests or Community Involvements. These experiences demonstrate character traits such as motivation, commitment, and initiative.
When filling out a job application include relevant volunteer and service experience under Work History. If it asks for a salary, write unsalaried. Some organizations calculate a dollar value for the volunteer service. If you have that information, you might share it during the interview. Some applications have an Activities section where you can list community involvement, associations, memberships, etc. Remember, you are not limited to listing you volunteer and service activities in this section.
It will be up to you to discuss your volunteer and service history during the job interview. Talk about relevant activities and identify specific skills learned/utilized in your volunteer position. Be prepared to present letters, etc. from your documentation portfolio to supplement your application and resume. If your volunteer and service experience was meaningful to you, it will come across that way in the interview. Share challenges and growth experiences.
Volunteer and service experiences are valuable, viable opportunities for acquiring new skills and aptitudes. Don’t hesitate to put all your experiences to work for you. Allow your resume to professionally showcase your volunteer and service accomplishments and abilities.
If you are a volunteer manager, program or agency director or board member think about how you can help members and volunteers document the service they have given your organization. When you write a letter of thanks to a volunteer, committee or board member, identify and compliment particular skills and abilities displayed, as well as accomplishments. This is an important component of overall volunteer recognition.
If you are an officer in your association or serving on a committee or board, consider the skills you have learned/acquired and ask other who are serving with you to write letters to document skills such as meeting management, leadership, record keeping, organization, etc.
This article was first published in 2001 and is licensed under a Creative Commons License. It may be reproduced in its entirety provided that you give the original author credit.
