Personal Benefits of Volunteering Can Be Hard to Explain

I just came back from flipping pancakes at a preschool where my husband teaches 3- and 4-year olds. It only took an hour out of my workday and sure, having me there helped snack time flow a little better but somehow the personal benefits of volunteering today are hard to put my finger on.

Making pancakes at a preschool may not be the most important volunteer work one can do, and I'm pretty sure I got more out of it than the school did because I had so much darn fun! It definitely added a little umph! to my otherwise ordinary workday. As I sit here typing, I feel happy, energized, and, dare I say... younger. As a result, I have a feeling I'm going to be quite productive at my work for several hours to come.

This experience made me think: Millions of people volunteer everyday. We know they're not doing it for the money. So...
What are the personal benefits of volunteering?

Here's what I've heard some people say:

• I'm learning new skills to enhance my job search.
• My volunteer work is filling a gap in employment on my resume.
• I'm meeting people to add to my personal and professional networks.
• It makes me feel good to help out in the world.
• It helps me fight depression while I'm unemployed.
• It energizes me to be part of a cause.
• I get a different perspective on life from the people I serve at the organization.
• I like working with other volunteers -- they're my kind of people.
• I trust and want to support not-for-profit organizations.
• Volunteering brings out my best qualities.

What's behind the volunteer work you do? Why do you do it? And how does it benefit you?

Other posts that are relevant to volunteering:
Value Added: Diversity in the Workplace... And On Your Resume
Unemployed? 4 Things to Do Right Away
When NOT to List Volunteerism on Resume
10 Years of Volunteering on a Resume

Value Added: Diversity in the Workplace... And On Your Resume

Your appreciation of diversity in the workplace is not only politically correct, it's highly valued by employers. Companies spend big bucks to further the diversity cause, so it makes sense that employers look for job candidates who already have proven success managing and working with diverse populations. Continue reading...

How Do I Write a Green Resume if I'm Not a Green-Collar Professional?

The green industry is good for more than just the environment. It's good for job growth -- at least that's what experts predict.

If you're an environmental engineer, scientist, or other "green" specialist, you're already familiar with how to explore the green job market.

Even if you don't have an environmental degree or some sort of green expertise, the green market could hold a job opportunity for you. After all, green employers have many of the same needs (for example, human resources, accounting, sales, and marketing) as employers in other industries.

A Green Resume for a Non Green-Collar Job

Applicants for many jobs in the green field may not be required to have green experience. However, conveying your enthusiasm for preserving and improving the environment could benefit your job search because employer's like having folks on board who believe in their products, services, and ideals.

That being the case, go through your experience with a fine-tooth comb and make a list of items that support your job objective and your employer's green mission. Things such as:

• Volunteer work (for example: oil spill clean-up, recycling efforts)
• Personal projects (for example: composting, installing solar panels on your roof)
• Civic leadership (for example, member of a green nonprofit board or committee)
• Education (for example, classes, workshops, seminars, certifications, degrees)

With your list in hand, incorporate relevant items into a chronological or combination resume format. If neither the chronological nor combination format works for your situation, use the functional format.

Job Hopper Seeks Resume for Steady Employment

Question
When I was 15, I began working for a fast food place and stayed there for a total of four years before I left for another job to gain more experience in the workforce. I was at my second job for 18 months before I quit because of a medical issue.

I focused solely on my education for a while until I had to go back to work for financial reasons. I returned to the same fast food job I had at 15, working on and off for short stints (three to nine months) in various locations over a period of 4 years. I finally just gave up because my medical condition was getting worse and I was miserable when at that job.

How should I list that experience on my resume? I'm trying to get some type of clerical/administrative position.

Answer
Here are some suggestions for creating a resume that highlights your relevant experience and downplays your short-term jobs in an unrelated field.

1. Use a chronological resume format.

2. In your Experience section, start with a current activity (paid or unpaid) that's relevant to your clerical/administrative support job objective and which truthfully represents what you've been doing since you left your fast food job. List that activity as a "job title" for the current span of time, 2010-present.

For example, maybe you're doing some clerical volunteer work (Clerical Support) or you're helping a friend reorganize her home office (Office Assistant). Under this "job title" write bullet point statements that refer to specific clerical projects that demonstrate your admininstrative skills and qualifications.

Don't worry about whether or not you are paid for this work. What's important is that you have experience in your new field. By the way, if you don't have any experience to list, start volunteering or helping someone right away so you can put it on your resume.

3. Next, list your job at the fast food restaurant with a parenthetical phrase after the job title, something like this:

SWZ Restaurant, Waitperson, 2006-2010 (short-term positions mostly concurrent with education)

There's no need to put bullet point statements for this position unless you did something on that job that supports your job objective.

Note: Only list the most recent four years of work at the fast food restaurant. Do not go back to age 15 on your resume as it will make you look much older than you actually are, and it will give the impression that your heart is really in the fast food business.

Listing your 18-month job is optional. Consider leaving it off to avoid bringing up your medical issue in the interview.

Best of luck with your transition into steady employment in the administrative support field.

Unemployed? 4 Things to Do Right Away

If you're unemployed, you may be wondering how to spend your time effectively and how to fill the current employment gap on your resume and online profile.

In this video, Patra Frame explains four things to do right away to address those two unemployment issues:

1. Brush up on your skills by attending classes, workshops, and seminars. List those classes on your resume.

2. Remain active in your professional groups. Networking among colleagues may help you find a great job lead, as well as give you a relevant current activity to put on your resume.

3. Volunteer at organizations that are meaningful to you and, if possible, relevant to your career. Your volunteerism can be presented in your Experience section as your current "job title."

4. Take temp or interim jobs that provide income during your job search. Include these temporary assignments as current employment in the Experience section of your resume and online profile.

To see how some of these ideas look in "print," check out these sample resumes with current unemployment in their Experience sections.


Between Job? Now What?
video by Patra Frame

Does Your Resume Need Hypnotherapy?

Question In 2003 I left my field to further my education. In 2006 I opened a hypnotherapy practice. For a new business, my practice did well the first year, however for the last two years I have had no clients.

I need a job, and therefore need to create a resume. Should I put my business on my resume and how should I refer to it? For example, should I put "Consulting practice" or "Self-owned business"? Continue reading...

List LinkedIn Groups on Resume

Your resume probably has a special section called "Professional Affiliations" or "Memberships" where you list trade organizations and professional societies you belong to. Now that professionals congregate online in social media forums such as LinkedIn Groups, how do you get "credit" for your online participation? Is it possible to use your online activity to fill a current unemployment gap? Here are suggestions for how to get the most of your online memberships on your resume: Continue reading...

When NOT to List Volunteerism on Resume

Question
What is the best way to identify your community/philanthropic leadership experience on your resume? This question was asked on LinkedIn. The questioner held an executive volunteer position and a full-time job at the same time. She worries that if she lists both her paid and volunteer work in her work history, it will be confusing because the two "jobs" were concurrent.

My Answer
It depends on what your job objective is. If your volunteer experience is more relevant to your objective, consider listing your volunteer experience in your work history section instead of your paid experience (without saying it was volunteer). If your paid experience is more relevant, list the paid experience in the work history section and mention your volunteer work elsewhere on your resume. In other words, list one or the other in the work history section, but not both. (Remember, you're resume is not a tell-all document. As long as everything on your resume is true, you can omit information if doing so markets you better for the job.)

One problem with listing both experiences as concurrent "occupations": it could look confusing. Here's the other problem: A potential employer will assume that you'll continue your intense volunteer work once he employs you. That means, he won't get 100% of your energy and attention. An employer may not want to share you with another organization, unless it somehow benefits him.

Sometimes it's best to keep things simple on the resume, and explain details in person at the interview. This might be one of those cases.

Look Busy on Your Resume

If your resume shows that you're currently unemployed, you could be at a disadvantage in your job search. According to Don't Quit Your Job by Susan Joyce, a passive job seeker (someone who's employed and not actively looking for a new job) is more sought after than an active job seeker. Continue reading...

8 Ways to Beat the Stress of Losing a Job

by Joel Garfinkle, Founder of GarfinkleExecutiveCoaching.com and DreamJobCoaching.com

It doesn't quite measure up to experiencing the death of a spouse, a divorce or being thrown in jail, but losing your job still ranks as one of life's 10 most stressful events.

So it's natural to feel pressure out when you're laid off. You're worried about your family, finances and future. Not to mention you've been tossed overboard into the worst job market in decades.

Having a certain amount of stress can be productive. It serves as a motivator, giving you a sense of urgency and keeping you alert to opportunities. Yet, when not controlled, stress can lead to even more problems, some of which can be far worse than being unemployed.

Too much stress can damage your health and your relationships with friends and loved ones.

So, as you develop your job search strategy, I encourage you include a category called, "Stress Busters."

Write down the specific things you intend to do to minimize the stress you're bound to feel over the coming weeks and months. Then, periodically check your list to see if you're following through. And constantly look for opportunities to expand your list.

Here are some examples to get you started:

1. Get plenty of sleep.

Target how many hours you ideally want to sleep each night. If you're having trouble sleeping, there are a number of websites on the Net that provide excellent advice on ways to get a better night's rest. If the problem is severe, talk to your health care provider.

2. Watch your diet.

It's always a good idea to maintain proper nutrition, but especially so during stressful times. Being at home and having easy access to junk food or leftovers make for an unhealthy combination.

3. Start an exercise program.

Being temporarily unemployed is an excellent time to begin the exercise program you never seemed to have time for when you were working. If you need to lose a few pounds, set a weekly goal. You'll not only improve your health, but your self-image.

4. Cut back on the caffeine and alcohol.

You'll not only feel better, chances are you'll sleep better, too (at least, that's what the experts say).

5. Maintain a positive attitude.

Eliminate the negative "self-talk" that inevitably comes with unemployment. Stop yourself every time you hear your inner voice saying "I can't" or "It's impossible" or "I didn't get the job interview" or "I'm not qualified." And avoid negative people.

6. Be inspired by others who overcame adversity.

Take comfort in knowing that others survived and accomplished great things during difficult times. Read books or articles (or rent movies) about religious, political or humanitarian leaders who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds. As difficult as your circumstances may be, they'll seem far less daunting.

7. Learn a New Hobby or Skill.

Break out the old golf clubs you haven't used for awhile. Learn a new language or software program. Take up yoga. If you have trouble discovering a new passion, just fill in this blank: "I've always wanted to learn to ____________, but never had the time."

8. Volunteer.

Volunteering for a nonprofit or getting involved in your community is a way to feed the soul and relieve stress. You'll not only be helping others, you'll be helping yourself. Volunteering is an excellent way to expand your network of people who can offer job leads. At the very least, it's another positive item you can add to your resume.

Entrepreneurial Mom Returns to Workforce

Question
I've been a stay at home for approximately 2-1/2 years. I went back to work for a short time (3 months) about 1-1/2 years ago. During that time, I started a cake baking business. Re-entering the workforce is now a must for me.

Having worked for 3 months in 2007, how do I explain the gap from 2006-2007 and then from 2007-2009? Other gaps in my work history are present as well, however, this is the longest gap. How do I put my best foot forward in explaining the 3-year gap?

Answer
by Garla Smith, Smart Moms®, LLC, smart-moms.net and smart-moms-online.com

Dear Cake Business Entrepreneur,
Congratulations on your decision to return to the workforce. In actuality you have already done the best thing for your resume by launching your cake baking business along with the other tasks I am sure you have been doing while at home. These tasks might include volunteer work, PTA support, tutoring in the classroom, or coordinating activities for the school band.

I see two options. One would be to show your “Entrepreneur – Owner of Cake Baking Business” for the longest period (if you indeed kept it running for that period). Then have another line entry for your work as a Mom such as “Volunteer, PTA Vice-President, and Full-Time Parent” for the shorter period.

The other option would be to consider lumping the 2006 – 2009 under one job heading but have several job titles such as Entrepreneur, Volunteer, Full-Time Parent.

I would use years to show time frame but no months. When you make it to the interview you can explain in further detail if asked.

You were not idle while you were at home. The key now is to communicate that in your resume. What skills did you acquire in all of the positions (paid on unpaid) that are valuable to employers? Perhaps bookkeeping, marketing, management, or administration.

Employers are changing their perceptions that moms are simply at home doing nothing. Many women are mastering organizational skills and communication techniques. They're applying financial strategies and cost savings that are valuable in the work place. They are able to multi-task, be extremely efficient in completing tasks, and bring a level of professionalism to a business that a person just entering the job market may not yet possess. It's important to communicate that in your cover letter and resume; and be ready to provide examples in the interview. Your examples should demonstrate real benefits that resulted from the use of your skills.

Best of luck to you in your job search!

Unpaid Contract Work on Resume

Question
I have been a certified technician since 2001 and have provided technical services to family, friends, and many other individuals here and there. I don’t have a business license and tax ID, however, that is going to change soon. Can I add this work experience to my resume? If yes, how and where on the resume should this information be expressed?

Answer
By all means, Yes! Whether or not you have a business license and tax ID number, your experience can be listed on your resume.

If your unpaid experience is something you were doing while unemployed, insert it into your Experience section without mention of it being unpaid. You can refer to yourself as "Independent Technician." When doing this, be sure the heading of the section does not imply that everything listed in the section is paid experience. For example, instead of Employment History, say Experience.

If you have no gaps in employment, your unpaid experience can be listed in a separate section called Additional Experience.

In either case, if your unpaid experience is highly relevant to your job objective, and you don't have similar experience listed under your paid experience, highlight it as one of the qualifications you list in your Summary of Qualifications section.

Wall Street to Nonprofit Resume

Question
I am a former Wall Street investment banker with an MBA from Northwestern who has been out of the traditional work force for 15 years. I left investment banking when my family relocated and I was pregnant with a third child. Since that point, I have volunteered extensively and have been president and vice president of several local not-for-profit boards. I truly utilized and broadened my skills during this period.

I am interested in pursuing positions in the not-for-profit/education area. The real meat of my experience is in investment banking, but that was a number of years ago. How should I organize my resume?

Answer
Definitely use a chronological resume format to highlight your work history. Like most chronological resumes, yours should list your work history in reverse chronology (most recent first) so that your experience with not-for-profits will be listed near the top of your Experience section. If you have spans of time when you were not volunteering, use "Full-time parent" as a job title to fill that gap.

Consider placing your Education section just under your Summary of Qualifications section. This will show off your MBA, which is relevant to nonprofit management.

Lapse in Employment Due to Tragedy

Question
I left my job in January 2002 due to the murder of my children's father. I worked for an insurance company for 11 years.I went back to college a couple of years ago until they told me my financial aid had run out.

I have applied for quite a few jobs and haven't even gotten an interview. Is the lapse in work history the reason? If so, how should I handle this?

Answer
The gap in your work history may very well be the reason you're not getting calls for interviews. Here are some ideas for making that look a little better on your resume.

1. Be sure to have a job objective statement near the top of your resume so the recruiter or hiring manager will know what kind of work you seek.

2. Place your Education section near the top of the resume, just under your Summary of Qualifications. State the starting and ending dates you attended school, using years but no months.

3. In your work history, do something like this:

2006-2008, Student, Such-and-Such College, City, State
- Refer to one or two courses you took that are relevant to your job objective, if possible.

2002-2006, Full-time parent
- Talk a little about any activities (paid or unpaid) that you did in addition to parenting. If these activities are significant, include that "job title" next to Full-time parent (For example: Full-time parent and Red Cross volunteer).

1991-2002, Job Title, Such-and-Such insurance company, City, State
- Write three or more bullet statements that are relevant to your job objective.

Hopefully these suggestions will lead to some job interviews. Best of luck!

Three-Year Gap on Resume

Question
I was employed last in August of 2005. At that time, with no warning, I was given my walking papers. I was completely stunned. No warning, nothing. I asked why and the supervisor said I wasn't doing my job, which was completely untrue. I was a good employee for their company. They refused unemployment and so I filed an appeal and won, getting six months of unemployment insurance.

Shortly after this happened, my mother-in-law got sick and we took her in to stay with us. She has now left, and I am actively pursuing work in an administrative capacity. What about the gap on my resume and what about the job application that asks, "Have you ever been discharged and why?"
--Carol

Answer
Here's how to handle the three-year gap in employment on your resume. If you did any volunteer work that involved paperwork while taking care of your mother-in-law, list that as your most current "job title." (There's no need to say that if you were not paid for your work). It might look like this:

2005-present, Fundraiser, ABC Organization, City, State
- Managed administrative records as part of an active fundraising team. Typed and mailed donor solicitation and acknowledgement letters, and updated donor database.

If you didn't do any volunteer work but provided financial management for your mother-in-law as part of your care giving, you could put that on your resume. It might look something like this:

2005-present, Full-time Caregiver to Parent
- Handled financial matters, including insurance claims, trust administration, and accounts payable, in addition to providing home nursing.

If you did both, then list it like this:

2005-present, Fundraiser, ABC Organization, City, State
while serving as Full-time Caregiver to Parent
- Managed administrative records as part of an active fundraising team. Typed and mailed donor solicitation and acknowledgement letters, and updated donor database.
- Handled financial matters for parent, including insurance claims, trust administration, and accounts payable.

On your job application you will have to say "yes" to the question about having been discharged. Your explanation should be something brief, such as, "Misunderstanding." Then be prepared to talk about it in your job interview.

Best of luck with your job search!

Mom With Dated Experience

Question
I have been a full-time mother for the past nine years and wasn't even thinking much about going back to work but I just heard about a job (Arts Program Administrator at a museum) that sounds perfect for me. I am dusting off my resume and I have a question:

I have three types of experiences that I have grouped together as "Creative Experience," "Arts Administration Experience," and "Board and Committee Experience." All are relevant, but probably the Arts Administration most so. The most recent grouping is unpaid, volunteer, charity board, community service. It is definitely relevant as it is fund-raising and arts-oriented. The creative experience is about 10 years old, but still relevant as it is art direction and design. The most relevant and most distant in time are several jobs in arts administration, which go back about 18 years.

How should I order these? Most relevant first regardless of chronology, which would put my most current experience last? Or in reverse chronology (which would put the most recent but most relevant last)?
-- Jessica

Answer
by Garla Smith, Smart Moms®, LLC, smart-moms.net and smart-moms-online.com

Dear Jessica,
Because of the gap in your history and the fact that you are going back into a field where your relevant experience is dated but still very relevant, the functional resume might be the best bet. The functional resume highlights two or three skills in which the job seeker is very strong. Here's the twist: you could insert subtitles under each skill heading, which tie the skill to the organizations where the experience was gained. Under each organization subheading, you could have two or three result statements to show that you have experience relevant for the job. Perhaps these statements could speak to your creative and art administration skills.

Your main question was about the order in which you should list your experience. In the body of your functional resume, prioritize your skill headings according to how relevant they are to your job objective. Within each skill heading, prioritize your organization subheadings so the most relevant is first, regardless of chronology.

Notice, this resume has the feel of a chronological resume but does not highlight dates until the end of the resume in the Work History, where you provide a timeline of what you have been doing. It is meant to be brief but should have no gaps. For spans of time when you were not employed, list Stay At Home Parent/Title. (By “Title” I mean a descriptor for what you were doing in addition to being at home.) List dates in terms of years (for example, 2000 - 2007), starting with your most current date.

Many thanks to Susan for pointing out this unique functional style resume. I believe it will serve moms very well.

Community Organizer on Resume

Whether you're a community organizer or working under a community leader, your involvement in the nonprofit sector is valuable and speaks volumes about who you are as a person and potential employee. For that reason, definitely list your community service on your resume, especially if it's relevant to your job objective. (The only reason not to list your volunteerism is if it discloses information about yourself that might conflict with your job objective, e.g., your political, religious, or sexual preferences.)

In Community Organizers, Unsung Heroes, Alison Doyle writes the following (in reference to Sarah Palin's sarcastic comments about Barack Obama's work as a community organizer, compared to Palin's position as Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.):

I honestly don't understand what's the matter with having a meaningful job where you help others, and why it provides less experience than being mayor of a town of 5,469 (when she was mayor) people, which, by the way, Palin left $20 million in debt?

In a comment to a related post by Alison, Rallying Around Community Organizers, I wrote:

Community involvement is incredibly important and can be put on anyone's resume (even if they're not running for president) with pride. Often it's what people do for little or no money that tells us where their hearts are.

Listing Volunteer Work on a Resume, on the Ask a Manager blog, brought up the same point for me. Here's my comment after that post:

I think it's fine to list unpaid experience under your work history section without mentioning that it was volunteer. Just be sure the heading of the section doesn't imply that you were paid. For instance, instead of Employment History, use a heading such as Experience or History.

I also feel that community service is incredibly valuable, and can be listed on a resume with pride. I'm outraged by McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, sneering at Obama's work as a community organizer. (I realize Obama was paid for his work but it still falls under the category of nonprofit work.) Palin should be ashamed of discounting the value of community experience and leadership. By putting it on his resume, Obama made a difference as to how I'm casting my vote! Likewise, your community work might make a difference in how an employer makes his selection for a new employee.

Career Gap on Resume

Question
I was a Landscape Architect with over a 15 years experience, licensed and educated with a degree in the field. (It is a fairly narrow profession). I faded out of that career in 2001 and became a self-employed, on-line bookseller with every intention of not going back into L/arch.

However, I have changed my mind! I am eager to re-enter the profession because I miss the challenge, the people and working on creative projects.

My question is: Do you think I should "expose my gap" in L/arch in the cover letter, in my resume or at the interview?? There is no way I can hide this fact, nor do I want to... In the architectural field we usually show a portfolio at the interview and I have nothing to show after 2001... Being a bookseller does not mean I was unemployed, it's just that most of these firms will want to know who I am presently working for and what projects I am working on. Personally, I do not consider it a working gap, but a career gap. What do you think? -- Cliff

Answer
Cliff, you are right to consider this a career gap, not an employment gap. Here's what I suggest you do:

Use the chronological resume format. As the first entry at the top of your Experience section put:

2001 - present, Freelance Landscape Architect (concurrent with online sales venture)
- Mention a few landscape projects that you've done during this time (I'm sure you didn't keep you hands out of the soil or off the drawing board!) The projects can be ones at your own home or ones you volunteered for in the community. Don't forget to include interesting projects you consulted on like that hillside landscaping in your neighbor's backyard, the redesign of your aunt's rock garden, and other projects you gave advice for.
- Briefly refer to administrative aspects of your online business that are relevant to working for a landscape company. Maybe you designed marketing pages, used your database skills, or your customer service talents to enhance business.
- If your online book business specialized in selling landscape-related books, include something about that.

Taking this approach on your resume will show the employer that your love of landscape architecture is very much alive. There's no need to bring up the online business in your cover letter. The issue may arise in your job interview so practice how you'll talk about it then, keeping the emphasis on the thread of passion for landscaping.

In the meantime, try to get some freelance work in the field so you can continue to build your resume as you conduct your job search.

Good luck!

10 Years of Volunteering

Question
I am working with one of our consumers on an application and he has not worked in about 10 years, at least not for pay. He has volunteered at our hospital for 10 years, however. I am having difficulty knowing how to help him explain this long lapse in employment. He does receive Social Security and lives with his elderly mother, so he did not have to work but he would now like to. I would appreciate any suggestions you have. -- An independent-living consultant (who asked this question through JobStar)

Answer
by Susan Ireland
My answer starts with the question: What does your consumer (a.k.a. client) want to do for his next job?

If he wants a job in a hospital, he should use a chronological resume format and put his volunteer experience in his Experience section, writing bullet point statements that support his job objective. There’s no need for him to state on his resume that it was a volunteer position or to discuss his Social Security checks.

If he wants a job that’s not related to his hospital work, he should use a functional resume format in which he would list his hospital experience on one line in the Work History section. In the body of the resume under Relevant Experience he would create skill headings with bullet point statements that draw from any of his paid or unpaid experiences, including activities at home (such as managing his mom’s finances), school (such as relevant classes he has taken), personal interests (such as sports or hobbies), and work performed previous to his hospital volunteerism.

Because you said that you are an independent-living consultant, I gather your client is living with a disability. If that’s the case, your client doesn’t need to refer to his disability on his resume unless his disability supports his job objective. For example, if he is deaf and he’s applying for a position as a sign language specialist, he might put a statement like this in his Summary of Qualifications section:

- Fluent in signing, having grown up with it as my “first language.”

I hope this is helpful, and I wish you the best with your work with your client!