Yes, you can put volunteer work for employment history on your resume. If you’re a recent graduate with no work experience, have been unemployed for a period of time, or are changing careers, including volunteer work on your resume can help your application stand out. However, you should only include volunteer work that’s relevant to your target job.
When you put volunteer work in your employment history section, format it like regular work experience and include:
- The organization’s name
- Your volunteer position title
- The dates you volunteered (Month, Year – Month, Year)
- A bulleted list of relevant accomplishments
Here’s an example of how to put volunteer work in a resume’s employment history section:
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES, LOS ANGELES, CA
Volunteer, June 20XX – August 20XX
-
- Scheduled the entire volunteer staff for the Children’s Orthopaedic Center
- Accumulated over 1,000 volunteer hours helping patients to/from hospital appointments, reading to patients, and performing administrative tasks
- Trained 50+ volunteers in reading to children and assisting in playrooms/at bedsides
- Raised over $30,000 through various fundraising events, including car washes, bake sales, and raffles