Volunteering can be a powerful weapon if you’re looking to get the edge in your job applications. Voluntary experience is beneficial if you’re new to the healthcare industry or applying for entry-level roles, and don’t have much relevant paid work experience. In this article, we’ll discuss how and why volunteer work can make a difference for your job prospects, and provide guidance and examples to help you list volunteer work on your resume for maximum impact with employers.

Why is volunteer work useful for a resume?

Voluntary work is a valuable way of showing on your resume that you’ve got the necessary skills and experience for a job. While your work experience section is typically the most important part of the document, adding volunteer experience in your resume can help you plug gaps in your work experience and include skills that would otherwise be missing.

Your resume’s work experience section is usually the place to show employers that you have the necessary skills and experience to do the job. You do this by listing responsibilities and achievements from previous roles that showcase the skills required for the job you’re applying for. If, however, you’re unable to prove your skill set through your work experience, you’ll want to utilize other resume sections to show employers you’ve got what it takes. This is where volunteer experience becomes valuable.

When is volunteer work useful for a resume?

Volunteer work can be particularly useful for your healthcare resume in various circumstances. Here are some situations where you might consider adding voluntary roles to enhance your resume:

• If you’re at an early stage in your career: if you’re recently qualified or you’re applying for junior and entry-level positions, you might find it’s been difficult to build up the skills and experience required for some healthcare jobs. Voluntary positions can be a useful way of showcasing these skills and in particular soft, transferable skills.
• If you’re changing careers: if you’re making a midlife career change, you might have plenty of experience in another sector, but you may lack experience that’s relevant to healthcare jobs. In this situation, your work experience section might not be the most valuable part of your resume, and you might wish to emphasize volunteer work and other sections.
• If volunteer work helped you develop a specialist skill: if you worked in a volunteer position that helped you develop a valuable specialist skill, you’ll want to showcase it in your resume. Voluntary work can be an ideal way to broaden your skill set and work with different types of people.

What sort of volunteer work is valuable for healthcare roles?

If you’re searching for volunteer work that could boost your resume for healthcare applications, you have plenty of options. Volunteering often involves working for non-profit organizations and coming into contact with vulnerable people. These are perfect conditions for developing the sort of transferable skills you can put to use in the healthcare sector. You might also find you’re able to develop some relevant hard or technical skills through volunteer opportunities.

Some valuable volunteering roles for healthcare jobs include:

• First-aider: Volunteering for a first aid charity is a great way of gaining experience in caring for and treating patients. 
• Care home/hospice volunteer: Care homes and hospices provide the ideal conditions for learning how to interact with patients, administer care, and deliver valuable services to make the stay of patients more comfortable.
• Healthcare charity/hospital volunteer: Opportunities for voluntary work with health-related charities could include fundraising, providing administrative support, taking part in research studies, or working directly with patients.
• Community volunteer: Volunteering for community organizations can help you develop many of the same skills you’ll use in a healthcare career. Opportunities might include working at a food bank, a needle exchange, or a sexual health clinic.
• Telephone helpline volunteer: Helplines such as the Samaritans, NAMI, or organizations for the prevention of domestic or child abuse can give you experience in handling sensitive information, counseling, and building trust with patients.

Useful skills from volunteering

Only include volunteering work in your resume if it shows how you’ve developed and used skills that are useful for healthcare roles. Volunteering in any of the roles or sectors outlined above are likely to equip you with skills that you can put to use in full-time work in the healthcare sector. Many of these skills may be soft, transferable skills, but you might also have the opportunity to develop relevant hard skills.

Some of the key skills and qualities volunteer work could help you develop include:

• Problem-solving
• Teamwork
• Communicating with patients
• Building relationships
• Compassion and empathy
• Cultural sensitivity
• Organization and time management
• Professionalism and ethical conduct
• Resilience and adaptability
• Administering first aid and medication
• Understanding healthcare regulations

If the jobs you’re applying for require these skills, you’ll want to make sure your volunteering section mentions how you used them, and how they led to success or positive outcomes for the organization.

How to present volunteer work on a resume

The way you present your volunteer experience on your resume will have a big impact on how much it enhances your applications. Typically, volunteering is one of the last sections in a resume, below the work experience, education, and skills sections. However, the prominence you decide to give it in your resume will depend on how much influence you want your volunteer work to have on the employer’s final hiring decision. If volunteering forms a critical part of your relevant experience, you may wish to place this section higher in your resume.

The most effective way to list your voluntary work in your resume is to follow the same structure as your work experience section. This means presenting your volunteering experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent role and working backward. It also means including the following information:

• Volunteer job title
• Organization Name
• Location
• Dates of engagement in volunteering activity
• Bullet points detailing your responsibilities, achievements, and skills you put to use in the role

The most essential thing to remember when adding your volunteering roles to your resume is to always ensure they help to prove you have the experience and skills necessary for the job. As such, make sure your bullet points include skills that match the job description, and achievements to show the impact your contribution made.

Examples of volunteer work on a resume

Here are some examples of volunteer work for a healthcare resume, and how to present them for maximum effect:

Volunteer First-Aider, Red Cross, Wilmington, NC, October 2019 – July 2023

• Provided first-aid support at major public gatherings and sporting events across the Wilmington area.
• Administered treatment for injuries and conditions including dehydration, sprains, heat stroke, and cuts and bruises.

Care Home Volunteer, Ridgeview Care Home, San Diego, CA, April 2022 – present

• Befriended care home patients with dementia, engaging in various activities including reading, exercise classes, and board games.
• Supported care home staff with meal preparation, room cleaning, and basic patient care, including personal hygiene.

Community Volunteer, Shining Light Food Bank, Dallas, TX, July 2015 – December 2018

• Organized 200+ food parcels for registered clients, liaising with local referral services and managing collection schedules.
• Provided counseling and advice to service users on personal health and well-being including diet, hygiene, physical activity, and mental health.