NEWS

Volunteering: It does a resume good

Kevin Hogencamp
Image provided by Corporation for National & Community Service

There's an often-overlooked strategy for people trying to get a better job - or land a job in the first place.

Volunteering.

While having the obvious advantage of improving people's lives and bettering communities, volunteering hones skills, builds a network base - and, thus, beefs up resumes, among other benefits.

Recruiting administrator Michelle Claudio said an impressive volunteer history sometimes is a difference-maker when hiring managers are ready to make a job offer.

"I do recruiting for revenue-generating positions, so I'm looking for people with high drive - and it takes drive to go out and fulfill an obligation doing something that you are not getting paid for," said Claudio, who manages recruiting, on-boarding and marketing for Times-Union Media in Jacksonville.

Volunteering can be equally beneficial for people considering a career switch and those entering the workforce for the first time or after a long layoff.

"Instead of just volunteering anywhere, people looking to change careers should consider looking for opportunities to develop new skills or build a new expertise," Claudio said

At Jacksonville University, career development administrators emphasize that all relevant experiences - inside and outside of the classroom - are important to include in a resume.

"We often see students who have participated in academic service-learning projects with faculty, served on mission trips, or volunteered at local non-profits," said JU Career Development Center Director Toni Higgs. "We assist students with focusing on the relevant accomplishments and skills they have gained from participating in these experiences."

Higgs and other members of the JU career development team - Director of Experiential Learning Dr. Laura Atkins and Career Development Center Assistant Director Emily Asay - says they encourage job-seekers to articulate how their service helped the organization fulfill its mission.

"For example, a job-seeker who served at Habitat for Humanity, needs to be able to identify how the service work helped the organization achieve its goals of building 12 houses in three days," Higgs said.

Vivian Senior, the University of North Florida's career services associate director, said community service also provides the opportunity to gain a "day in the life of" perspective of a career.

"In the case of an alum who may have been out of the workforce for a long period of time due to personal reasons, they are able to ease back into the professional realm, while making their skills and experience current," Senior said.

Indeed, Claudio pointed out that "continuing to stay in front of people" while out of work is important.

"It shows that their commitment for fulfilling obligations is a high priority," Claudio said. "And I would encourage people to, on their resume, to write the reason they chose a particular volunteer project."

While finding time to volunteer is often easier said than done, it pays dividends on multiple levels.

"Even if pursued by a student from a pure altruistic based motivation, students (who help others) are able to demonstrate a more well-rounded perspective of their personal traits and characteristics to complement targeted skills and experiences," said Senior.

The bottom line is that resumes tell the story of how candidates have prepared to enter the world of work - and "strategically placed community service or volunteerism adds content," Senior said. "Experience is experience - and relevant experience counts."