Who Wants to Stand Out? Top 14 Strategies for Amazing Volunteer Resumes

Highlighting volunteer experiences can make your resume shine!

Volunteer Resumes

In today's competitive job market, it's important to have a strong resume that showcases your skills and experiences. This holds true not only for paid positions, but also for those looking to make a difference through volunteer work. A well-crafted volunteer resume can help you stand out from the crowd and highlight your commitment to various causes. Here are 14 strategies to create an amazing volunteer resume:

1. Tailor your resume: Customize your resume for each volunteer opportunity, highlighting relevant experiences, skills, and achievements that match the organization's mission.

2. Highlight your impact: Emphasize the positive changes you brought about through your volunteer work. Describe the outcomes and quantify your achievements wherever possible.

3. Showcase transferable skills: Volunteer experience often provides valuable transferable skills such as leadership, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. Highlight these skills to demonstrate your ability to contribute effectively.

4. Include a clear objective statement: A concise objective statement at the beginning of your resume helps the reader understand your career goals and how they align with the volunteer opportunity.

5. List relevant volunteering experiences first: If you have prior volunteering experience, prioritize it over other work experiences if it relates to the opportunity you are applying for.

6. Include details about your roles and responsibilities: Clearly state the tasks you undertook as a volunteer and any specific accomplishments you achieved. This helps organizations understand your level of involvement.

7. Keep it organized and concise: Use bullet points and concise sentences to present information in a clear and organized manner. Be mindful of the length and aim to keep your resume within two pages.

8. Highlight relevant educational background: Include any relevant coursework, certifications or degrees that may demonstrate relevant skills or knowledge for the volunteer role.

9. Include relevant volunteer certifications: Mention any certifications or training you have received that are relevant to the volunteer position, such as first aid or specialized skill certifications.

10. Showcase language skills: If you are fluent in languages other than English, mention them in your resume. Many volunteer organizations require bilingual volunteers.

11. Provide references: Include contact information for references who can vouch for your commitment, skills, and character. Ideally, these references should be from previous volunteering experiences.

12. Highlight technical skills: In today's digital age, organizations often require volunteers to have technical skills. Include any computer software or programming abilities that may be relevant to the volunteer role.

13. Demonstrate cultural sensitivity: If you have experience working with diverse communities, emphasize your cultural sensitivity and ability to work effectively in cross-cultural environments.

14. Proofread for errors: Ensure that your resume is error-free and free of typos. This showcases attention to detail and professionalism.

By following these 14 strategies, you can create an amazing volunteer resume that will increase your chances of standing out to potential organizations. Remember to tailor your resume to each volunteer opportunity and showcase your unique skills and experiences effectively. Good luck in your volunteer journey!