A common misconception is that if you didn't get paid for it, it doesn't belong on a resume. That is completely false. Employers hire you for your skills, not your W-2 tax history.

If you used relevant skills to help an organization, it is work experience. Whether you should put it in your main "Experience" section or a separate "Volunteer" section depends entirely on where you are in your career.

In this guide
  1. When should you include volunteer work?
  2. How to list it if you are a student
  3. How to list it if you are an experienced professional
  4. How to write the bullet points

When should you include volunteer work?

You should include volunteer work if it meets any of these criteria:

  • It fills an employment gap: If you were out of work for 8 months but spent that time volunteering, list it. It proves you stayed active.
  • It gave you relevant skills: If you are applying for an Event Coordinator job, and you organized a 500-person charity run for free, that is highly relevant experience.
  • You have no other experience: If you are a high school or college student, volunteer work might be the only professional experience you have.

Do not include volunteer work if it is highly controversial (e.g., extreme political campaigns) unless you are specifically applying for a job in that exact field.

How to list it if you are a student

If you have little to no paid work experience, you should put your volunteer work directly into your main Experience section. Treat it exactly like a real job.

EXPERIENCE

Marketing Coordinator (Volunteer)
Habitat for Humanity | Austin, TX | Jan 2024 – Present
• Managed the organization's Instagram and TikTok accounts, growing total followers by 45% in 6 months.
• Designed promotional flyers for the annual fundraising gala using Canva, helping raise $12,000.

How to list it if you are an experienced professional

If you already have 5+ years of paid, professional experience, your volunteer work should not be mixed in with your main jobs. It will confuse the recruiter.

Instead, create a separate section at the bottom of your resume called Volunteer Experience or Community Involvement.

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Board Member, Austin Animal Rescue (2022 – Present)
• Advise the executive director on annual budget allocation and digital fundraising strategies.

Volunteer Tutor, Code for Kids (2020 – 2022)
• Taught introductory Python and HTML to middle school students in underserved districts.

How to write the bullet points

The biggest mistake people make with volunteer work is writing weak bullet points like "Helped out at the shelter" or "Collected donations."

You must quantify your impact just like you would for a paid job. Use numbers to show the scale of what you did.

  • Weak: "Helped organize a charity run."
  • Strong: "Coordinated logistics for a 5K charity run with 800+ participants, raising $25,000 for local food banks."

Remember, the recruiter doesn't care if you got paid. They care if you can deliver results.