Job Search: Why You Should Include Volunteer Work on Your Resume
Bucking conventional career wisdom, LinkedIn says volunteer work is an important -- yet often overlooked -- component of resumes. To help members showcase their volunteer work, the professional networking site has announced a new profile section where users can list the causes that are important to them.
CIO — According to new research from LinkedIn, volunteering is just as beneficial to your career as it is to those you help. That's why it has rolled out a new profile section, "Volunteer Experience and Causes," to help you highlight how you've contributed to your community.
LinkedIn surveyed 2,000 professionals in the U.S. and found that 89 percent have volunteer experience, but only 45 percent include their volunteer work on their resume.
"Professionals often have the misconception that volunteer work doesnt qualify as real work experience," says Nicole Williams, connection director at LinkedIn and an author. "You may be a sales person by trade, but if you organized your nonprofit's fundraising event, you can add skills like event planning or event marketing to your profile. Having those additional skills can potentially make you a more attractive employee and business partner."
Indeed, hiring managers agree that volunteer work can be counted as relevant professional experience. Forty-one percent of those surveyed stated that when they evaluate candidates, they consider volunteer work equally as valuable as paid work experience. One out of 5 hiring managers surveyed say they have made a hiring decision based on a candidate's volunteer work experience.
Williams says that whether you're employed or unemployed, including volunteer work on your LinkedIn profile is essential in the current economic climate.
"When hiring managers or business partners are comparing two people side by side, volunteer experience makes you a more multifaceted professional and can set you apart from the competition," she says.
[Want more LinkedIn tips, tricks and analysis? Check out CIO.com's LinkedIn Bible.]
Other job-related benefits of volunteer work include, according to Williams:
-Test new talents. Not only can you try new things in a low-risk forum, you can also showcase your talents before a new set of peers who could have the connections you need to get hired.
