Should I put volunteer work on my resume?

Yes, when it is relevant to the job, shows leadership or fills a gap. Leave off volunteering that has nothing to do with the role if space is tight.

Where does volunteer experience go?

In its own section after your work experience, or inside Experience if it was substantial and closely related to the job (mark it as volunteer work in the title).

Do I need to say it was unpaid?

Yes. Use “Volunteer” in the title or section name so it is clearly volunteer work. It is still real experience; it just has to be presented honestly.

How do I describe volunteer work without a job title?

Name what you actually did (Event Coordinator, Tutor, Treasurer, Mentor). If there was no formal title, use a plain description such as “Volunteer, after-school literacy programme” and let the bullets carry the detail.

Can volunteering replace work experience?

For someone with little paid experience, relevant volunteer work with real responsibility can carry the experience section. Write it the same way as a job: dates, role, results.

Should I list religious or political volunteering?

That is your choice. List it if it shows relevant skills and you are comfortable discussing it. Otherwise, describe the skills without naming the cause, or leave it off.

Free tool · no account needed

How to List Volunteer Experience on a Resume

Treat relevant volunteer work like a job: the organisation, your role, the dates and a bullet or two of results. Put it in its own section, or inside Experience if it was substantial. The formatter writes both versions.

When volunteering helps, and when to leave it off
A standalone section versus inside Experience
A formatter that turns your notes into resume bullets

Volunteer experience formatter

One bullet per line. Start each with a verb and end with a result. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Organisation

Your role

Time commitment (optional)

Start

End

What you did (one per line)

Standalone “Volunteer Experience” section

[Role], [Organisation] · [Start]–Present
• [What you did, and the result]

Inside Experience (marked as volunteer)

[Role] (Volunteer), [Organisation] · [Start]–Present
• [What you did, and the result]

When volunteer work belongs on a resume

It builds a skill the job needs (managing a budget, teaching, organising events, fundraising, translation).
You are early in your career or changing fields and it shows relevant work.
It filled a gap in your work history with real responsibility.
It shows leadership, such as chairing a committee or coordinating a team.

Where it goes

A separate “Volunteer Experience” section after your work experience suits most people. If the volunteering was substantial and directly relevant, list it inside Experience and mark it, for example “Volunteer Treasurer”, so nobody mistakes it for paid work. Do not hide that it was unpaid.

How to write it

Organisation, your role, and the dates.
Two or three bullets, led by action verbs, with the outcome: people reached, money raised, hours, events run.
Only the skills that connect to the job. A food-bank shift is “coordinated 25 volunteers”, not “packed boxes”.
Mention time commitment only if it is notable, such as a weekly role over several years.

Examples

Good: Standalone section

Volunteer Treasurer, Riverside Community Food Bank · 2021–Present
• Manage a $48,000 annual budget and report quarterly to a nine-member board.
• Cut vendor costs by 12% by moving to bulk purchasing.

Good: Inside Experience

Volunteer Coordinator (Volunteer), Habitat for Humanity, Austin, TX · 2022–2024
• Scheduled 30 weekend builders across 14 projects.

Avoid: Too thin

Volunteer, various charities
• Helped out at events

Frequently asked questions

Should I put volunteer work on my resume?: Yes, when it is relevant to the job, shows leadership or fills a gap. Leave off volunteering that has nothing to do with the role if space is tight.
Where does volunteer experience go?: In its own section after your work experience, or inside Experience if it was substantial and closely related to the job (mark it as volunteer work in the title).
Do I need to say it was unpaid?: Yes. Use “Volunteer” in the title or section name so it is clearly volunteer work. It is still real experience; it just has to be presented honestly.
How do I describe volunteer work without a job title?: Name what you actually did (Event Coordinator, Tutor, Treasurer, Mentor). If there was no formal title, use a plain description such as “Volunteer, after-school literacy programme” and let the bullets carry the detail.
Can volunteering replace work experience?: For someone with little paid experience, relevant volunteer work with real responsibility can carry the experience section. Write it the same way as a job: dates, role, results.
Should I list religious or political volunteering?: That is your choice. List it if it shows relevant skills and you are comfortable discussing it. Otherwise, describe the skills without naming the cause, or leave it off.

More free resume tools

All free tools · Free ATS resume checker

Give your volunteering its place on the page

Resumade templates include a Volunteer section you can move, rename or fold into Experience.

Build my resume free