Maybe you have been spending your weekends and evenings pouring your heart and soul into volunteering at your local church, or you’re organizing fundraisers, leading worship services, or mentoring youth groups, your church volunteer work is more than just a commitment—it’s a labor of love and a testament to your dedication to community service.
But now comes the challenge: how do you effectively translate your invaluable experiences into the language of your résumé? In this introductory guide, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about adding your church volunteer work to your resumé.
Topics to be discussed include:
- Should you include volunteer work in your resumé?
- Importance of adding volunteer work to your resume
- What section you should add your church volunteer work?
- How to add your volunteer work
Should You Include Volunteer Work in your Resume?
Maybe.
(1) How much experience do you have in your field?
If you’re young, you may not have any prior employment to list on your resume. But if you have been volunteering at the local food bank or soup kitchen regularly, that’s the sort of thing that will impress a potential employer.
If you’ve been out of the workforce for an extended time, you may not have any recent employment to list on your resume. This is common with stay-at-home parents who have dropped out of the workforce for years to focus on raising their children. But if you have been volunteering at your child’s school, that’s the sort of thing that will impress a potential employer.
(2) How closely related is the volunteer experience to the job you’re applying for?
Are you applying for a job as a teacher’s aide in an elementary school? If so, your prior experience volunteering in your child’s elementary school is directly relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Are you applying for a job that requires management skills? If so, your prior experience volunteering on the managing board of a local choral society is directly relevant to the job you’re applying for.
(3) How much other material already appears on your resume? What is the information about your volunteerism going to bump? (Remember, you have only one page.)
If the portions of your resume devoted to your education and work experience take up only half a page, including relevant volunteer experience could help to fill out your resume.
If your resume is already so jam-packed that adding information about your volunteerism means you’ll have to omit the fact that you won the Nobel Peace Prize, leave the volunteerism out.
Importance of Adding Volunteer Experience
Including volunteer work on your resume can help employers learn about your interests and experience—especially if you have limited professional experience. You can include volunteer experience in your professional experience section, skill section, or in a separate volunteer section.
Incorporating volunteer experience into your resume holds significant importance for several compelling reasons:
- Showcasing Transferable Skills: Volunteer work allows individuals to develop a diverse set of transferable skills such as leadership, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management. These skills are highly valued by employers across various industries and can enhance your qualifications for a wide range of positions.
- Demonstrating Commitment and Character: Volunteer experience reflects your commitment to community engagement and social responsibility. It demonstrates that you are willing to contribute your time and talents to causes larger than yourself, showcasing positive character traits such as empathy, compassion, and altruism.
- Filling Employment Gaps: For individuals who may have gaps in their employment history due to career transitions, personal reasons, or economic downturns, volunteer work can help bridge these gaps and demonstrate ongoing professional development and engagement.
- Highlighting Relevant Experience: Depending on the nature of your volunteer work, it can provide valuable experience directly relevant to your desired career path or industry. For example, volunteering at a nonprofit organization can provide insights into nonprofit management, fundraising, event planning, and advocacy, which are applicable skills in the nonprofit sector.
- Differentiating Yourself from Other Candidates: In a competitive job market, volunteer experience can set you apart from other candidates with similar qualifications. It adds depth and richness to your resume, providing hiring managers with a more comprehensive understanding of your background, interests, and values.
- Building Professional Networks: Volunteering often involves collaborating with diverse groups of people, including fellow volunteers, community leaders, and organizational stakeholders. These interactions can help you expand your professional network, forge meaningful connections, and uncover potential career opportunities.
- Reflecting Personal Growth and Development: Volunteer experiences can be transformative and enriching, contributing to personal growth, self-discovery, and the development of new skills and perspectives. By including volunteer work on your resume, you demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning and continuous improvement.
What Section of Your Resume Should You Add to Your Church Volunteer Work?
When adding your church volunteer work to your resume, you have a few options for where to include it:
- Volunteer Experience Section: If you have substantial volunteer experience, including your church volunteer work in a dedicated section labeled “Volunteer Experience” is a great choice. This section allows you to highlight the various roles you’ve held, the organizations you’ve volunteered with, and the skills you’ve developed through your volunteer activities.
- Professional Experience Section: If your church volunteer work involves significant responsibilities or directly relates to the job you’re applying for, you may integrate it into your “Professional Experience” section. Treat your church volunteer positions just like you would pay roles, including the organization name, your title (e.g., Volunteer Coordinator, Youth Group Leader), and bullet points detailing your accomplishments and contributions.
- Additional Sections or Interests: If you have limited space in your resume or your church volunteer work doesn’t align closely with the job you’re pursuing, you can consider including it in a separate section titled “Additional Experience” or “Interests.” Here, you can provide a brief overview of your involvement in church activities without going into extensive detail.
- You can also create a dedicated section for only volunteer experience. This will help in highlighting the volunteer experience and make it more noticeable. The more experience you have, the better. But it is important to note that it shouldn’t take up all the whole space. Remove the irrelevant or unrelated ones to free up space and make the related ones stand out.
Regardless of where you choose to include it, ensure that your church volunteer work is presented in a clear, concise, and professional manner, emphasizing the skills, achievements, and contributions you’ve made through your volunteer activities.
How to Put Church Voluntary Work on Resume: A Guide
Adding volunteer work to your resume is a great way to showcase your skills, experience, and commitment to community service. Here’s how you can effectively incorporate volunteer work into your resume:
- Create a Dedicated Section: Begin by creating a separate section on your resume specifically for volunteer experience. You can title this section “Volunteer Experience” or “Community Involvement” to highlight your contributions outside of paid employment.
- Include Relevant Details: For each volunteer position you list, include the name of the organization, your volunteer role or title, the dates of your involvement, and a brief description of your responsibilities and accomplishments.
- Focus on Achievements: Highlight specific achievements and contributions from your volunteer work. Use action verbs to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments, and quantify your impact whenever possible. For example, instead of simply stating that you volunteered at a food bank, you could mention that you organized and coordinated monthly food drives, resulting in a 25% increase in donations over six months.
- Tailor to the Job: Tailor your volunteer experience to the job you’re applying for. Focus on the skills and experiences from your volunteer work that are most relevant to the position you’re seeking. For example, if you’re applying for a project management role, emphasize your experience organizing fundraising events or leading volunteer teams.
- Highlight Transferable Skills: Volunteer work often provides opportunities to develop transferable skills such as leadership, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Make sure to highlight these skills in your descriptions of your volunteer experiences, as they are highly valued by employers across various industries.
- Be Honest and Transparent: Be honest and transparent about your volunteer experience. If you held leadership roles or took on significant responsibilities in your volunteer positions, make sure to reflect that accurately on your resume. Avoid embellishing or exaggerating your involvement, as this can be easily verified by potential employers.
- Format Consistently: Keep the formatting of your volunteer experience section consistent with the rest of your resume. Use the same font, style, and formatting conventions to maintain a professional and cohesive appearance.
- Update Regularly: As you continue to volunteer, update your resumé regularly to avoid forgetting achievements made during the period.
- Proofread Carefully: Errors can be made, so it is important to review your volunteer experiences for accuracy, clarity, and consistency. Check for any spelling or grammatical errors and ensure that the formatting is clean and professional. A well-polished resume reflects attention to detail and professionalism.
Conclusion
In conclusion, incorporating church volunteer work into your resume is a powerful way to showcase your commitment to community service, demonstrate valuable skills and experiences, and differentiate yourself as a candidate.
Whether you choose to include it in a dedicated “Volunteer Experience” section or integrate it with your professional work history, highlighting your church volunteer work provides insight into your character, values, and dedication to making a positive impact.
By following best practices, tailoring your descriptions to the job you’re applying for, and emphasizing quantifiable achievements, you can effectively leverage your church volunteer experiences to strengthen your resume and position yourself as a well-rounded and capable candidate in the eyes of potential employers.
