Volunteer
experience can be just as helpful in getting a job as paid experience.
It does not matter if you learned to manage a database in a paid position
or volunteer. The important thing is that you learned to manage a database.
The biggest mistake people make is to underestimate the significance of
the experience. Check out the following information on how to describe
your volunteer experience to get the most out of it on your resume.
| Use the real title of your position |
Don't simply list your experience as "volunteer." You
want to be clear about what role you served in the organization.
List your position title, such as coordinator, cook, assistant,
receptionist, tutor, public relations manager, maintenance worker,
etc. Also, list the organization name, the location, and the dates
you worked. During the interview you can point our which positions
are volunteer.
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| Be specific about your duties, responsibilities,
and what you learned |
Include this information just as you would with a paid position.
List if you supervised others, led a project, managed documents
or procedures, managed budgets, etc. If you learned a new skill,
such as how to create a database, report writing, public speaking,
list that.
|
| Describe achievements |
List the things you did for the organization in detail. If you created
a new procedure, document, or event, list that. If you participated
in fundraising, list how much you raised. Use specific numbers for
things such as money budgeted, leadership, and fundraising.
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Create a portfolio
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A great way to account for your experience is to make a portfolio.
Include things such as before/after pictures, evaluations, journal
entries, newspaper clippings, and, if possible, copies of documents
you created.
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