How do I show the value in my volunteering experience on my CV?

Reader question:

I’m applying for a part-time job after having been at home with the children for 10 years. All I have done in that time is volunteering at the school (HEAPS of volunteering). What do I put on my CV that shows that my volunteering has value?

Here is some advice from our Facebook community on how to include volunteering experience on your CV:

List your volunteer positions the same as you would a paid position. Really the only difference between them is the salary, you still use and develop your skills in a volunteer role.
This is great advice – I do recruitment at work and have for many years, include it and be proud! When you come to an interview then wear it all proudly and make sure you don’t ever undermine yourself as a stay at home parent…when I returned to work after 8 years off that’s exactly what I did. Sell it hard and be proud of what you accomplished as a volunteer!!!

Here is some more similar advice:

Focus on the skills that you used during your volunteering- work well in a team, flexibility, work well under deadlines.
Treat it the same as any other work/position. Pay is irrelevant to experience.
Just note what you have actually done while volunteering showing all your skills and adaptability.
I listed each volunteer position with its corresponding skills, abilities and duties under a separate volunteer heading. Ie school banking officer: cash handling, data entry, communication distribution etc, canteen helper: food preparation, customer service, distribution of orders by a deadline, goods receiving, communication with students, staff and parents. Basically just treated each role as I would have if it was a paid position including time frames of any committee positions.

The bottom line is… your volunteering experience IS value and it shows your prospective employer a great deal about your personality, so be proud!

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