How to Correctly Add Volunteer Positions to Your Resume

Volunteer experience is often underestimated on resumes. When presented correctly, it can strengthen your profile, fill experience gaps, and demonstrate skills that employers value just as much as paid work.

The key is to treat volunteer roles professionally and include them strategically.

When volunteer experience belongs on your resume

Volunteer roles are especially valuable if:

• You are early in your career or a recent graduate
• You are changing careers
• You have employment gaps
• The volunteer work is relevant to the role you’re applying for

If a volunteer role helped you build transferable skills, it deserves space on your resume.

Where to place volunteer experience

Placement depends on relevance.

Option 1: Include it with professional experience
If the work closely matches the job you’re applying for, list it alongside paid roles and clearly label it as volunteer work.

Example:
Volunteer Project Coordinator – Local Food Bank
2023 – Present

Option 2: Create a separate “Volunteer Experience” section
Best when volunteer work is less directly related but still adds value.

This keeps your resume clean and easy to scan.

How to write volunteer roles professionally

Volunteer experience should be written the same way as paid work.

Focus on:

• Responsibilities
• Skills
• Impact or outcomes

Avoid phrases like:

• “Helped with”
• “Assisted”
• “Volunteered to”

Instead, use strong action verbs.

Example:
Coordinated weekly schedules for a team of 15 volunteers, improving coverage and reducing no-shows.

This signals accountability and competence.

Quantify when possible

Numbers make volunteer work more credible.

Examples:

• Managed a budget of $5,000 for fundraising events
• Supported 50+ community members per week
• Organized events attended by 200+ participants

This helps recruiters see the scope of your contribution.

Be clear and transparent

Always label volunteer roles clearly. Never imply that unpaid work was a paid position.

Honesty builds trust, and transparency avoids confusion during background checks or interviews.

When to leave volunteer work off

You do not need to include:

• Very short or one-time activities
• Roles with no transferable skills
• Outdated volunteer work that no longer supports your career story

Relevance matters more than completeness.

How to talk about volunteer work in interviews

Be prepared to explain:

• Why you chose the organization
• What you learned
• How the experience applies to the role

Volunteer work often makes interviews stronger because it shows initiative and values, not just employment history.

Country differences to keep in mind

Canada, US, UK

• Volunteer experience is well accepted
• Especially valued in nonprofit, healthcare, education, and early-career roles

Germany, Austria, Switzerland

• Volunteer work is respected
• Clear structure and dates are important
• Keep descriptions factual and concise

Southern Europe

• Volunteer roles can strengthen a profile
• Emphasize responsibility and results

Adjust how much space you give volunteer work based on where you’re applying.

How Yotru helps with volunteer experience

With Yotru, you can:

• Decide where volunteer roles fit best in your resume
• Write them using professional, role-focused language
• Tailor descriptions to match each job application
• Keep volunteer experience consistent across resume versions

This ensures your volunteer work strengthens your application rather than distracting from it.