Volunteer Work on a CV: How to List It With Examples
How to list volunteer work on a CV — where to put it, how to write bullet points, and 10 real example bullet points.
Volunteer work belongs on your CV when it is relevant to the role, fills an employment gap, or demonstrates skills your paid experience does not. List it either in your main Work Experience section (if it is substantial) or in a dedicated Volunteering section below education. Write bullet points the same way you would for a paid role: start with an action verb, describe what you did, and quantify the impact where possible. The examples below show you exactly how.
Should You Include Volunteer Work on Your CV?
Include volunteer work on your CV if any of the following apply:
- It is directly relevant to the role you are applying for
- It demonstrates a skill not shown in your paid experience (leadership, fundraising, project management)
- It fills an employment gap — rather than leaving the gap unexplained, volunteer work shows how you used that time productively
- You are a recent graduate or career changer with limited paid experience in the target field
- It shows values alignment with the employer (e.g., environmental volunteering for a sustainability-focused company)
Leave out volunteer work that is completely unrelated to the role and adds no transferable skill, or if your CV is already over two pages and the space is better used for paid experience.
Where to Put Volunteer Work on a CV
| Situation | Where to list it | How to label the section |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer role is substantial (regular, structured, 6+ months) | Work Experience section, alongside paid roles | Work Experience or Professional Experience |
| Multiple volunteer roles or a portfolio of volunteering | Separate section below Education | Volunteering or Community Involvement |
| Single brief volunteer role that is relevant | Separate section or at the bottom of Work Experience | Volunteering or Additional Experience |
| Volunteer role is the only experience for a gap period | Work Experience section, with dates clearly shown | Work Experience |
| Volunteer work is supplementary and low relevance | Brief mention in an Interests or Activities section | Volunteering / Community Activities |
How to Write Volunteer Work Bullet Points
Write volunteer bullet points exactly as you would write paid experience bullets: action verb + what you did + result or scale. The format does not change because the work was unpaid.
Formula: [Action verb] + [what you did] + [scale or result]
| Weak version | Strong version |
|---|---|
| Helped with fundraising events | Organised three annual fundraising events raising a combined £18,000 for local hospice care |
| Volunteered at food bank | Coordinated weekly food bank operations for 40+ households, managing stock levels and volunteer rotas for a team of 12 |
| Taught English to refugees | Delivered twice-weekly English language classes to 15 adult refugees, supporting progression from A1 to B1 CEFR level over six months |
| Social media for charity | Managed Instagram and LinkedIn accounts for a mental health charity, growing combined following by 2,400 in eight months |
| Mentored young people | Mentored eight young people (ages 16–19) through a structured career programme, with six securing employment or further education placements |
Volunteer Work CV Examples: 10 Ready-to-Adapt Bullet Points
The examples below are formatted for a CV bullet point list. Replace the specific numbers and organisations with your own details.
Leadership and management
- Led a team of 20 volunteers at [Organisation], coordinating schedules, inductions, and weekly briefings across a six-month community project
- Managed all logistics for a charity gala attended by 250 guests, securing venue, catering, and entertainment within a £5,000 budget
Fundraising and income generation
- Developed and executed a crowdfunding campaign raising £12,000 — 140% of the original target — for a local food redistribution project
- Secured three new corporate sponsors for [Charity Name] through cold outreach and relationship management, contributing £8,500 in annual donations
Teaching, training, and mentoring
- Delivered weekly numeracy workshops to 10 adults with learning disabilities, adapting lesson plans to individual progression needs
- Mentored four undergraduate students through a university career programme, supporting two into graduate roles and two into postgraduate study
Marketing and communications
- Produced monthly e-newsletter for a charity with 3,200 subscribers, writing, editing, and scheduling content in Mailchimp — average open rate 38%
- Redesigned [Organisation]'s website using Squarespace, improving mobile load time by 40% and increasing online donations by 22% in the first quarter
Operations and project management
- Coordinated a community clean-up initiative across five sites, recruiting 60 volunteers and liaising with two local councils on permits and waste disposal
- Built and maintained a volunteer management database for 120+ active volunteers, reducing scheduling conflicts and improving shift cover rate from 78% to 95%
When Volunteer Work Can Replace Paid Experience
For career changers and recent graduates, volunteer work can carry the same weight as paid experience if it is structured and substantial. Google, for example, specifically states that relevant volunteer work is considered equivalent to professional experience in their hiring process.
Volunteer work is most effective as a substitute for paid experience when:
- It lasted at least three to six months
- It involved clear responsibility and accountability (managing others, managing budgets, delivering results)
- It produced quantifiable outcomes
- It is presented in the same format and level of detail as a paid role
If you took a career break to care for a family member and also volunteered during that period, include both: "Career break — family caring responsibilities (Jan–Dec 2024)" followed by the volunteer role. This explains the gap and demonstrates active use of the time.
Volunteer Work and ATS Keywords
ATS keywords matter even in volunteer descriptions. If a nonprofit role values "donor relations" and you ran donor recognition programmes, use that exact phrase. For education roles, use language like "curriculum development," "student assessment," and "learning outcomes." Mirror the terminology in the job description so the scan registers a match.
Tailor Your Volunteer Work to Every Application
Use resum8 to highlight the volunteer experiences most relevant to each job posting and include the right keywords to pass ATS screening.
Try resum8 Free →Frequently Asked Questions
Should I put volunteer work on my CV?
Yes, if it is relevant to the role or demonstrates a skill your paid experience does not. Volunteer work is particularly valuable if you are a recent graduate, a career changer, or have an employment gap to explain. Present it with the same level of detail as a paid role — action verbs, specific responsibilities, and quantified results where possible.
Where do you put volunteer work on a CV?
If the volunteer role is substantial (regular, structured, and lasting several months), list it within your Work Experience section alongside paid roles. If you have multiple volunteer roles, create a separate Volunteering or Community Involvement section, typically placed after Education. A single brief role can be listed under an Additional Experience or Interests section.
How do you describe volunteer work on a CV?
Use the same structure as paid experience bullets: start with a strong action verb, describe what you did, and quantify the outcome. "Organised annual fundraising events raising £18,000" is stronger than "helped with fundraising." Treat the role as a professional one, because the skills demonstrated are the same regardless of whether you were paid.
Does volunteer work count as work experience on a CV?
Yes. Recruiters and hiring managers widely accept volunteer work as valid professional experience, particularly when it involves transferable skills — management, budgeting, communication, project delivery. Many employers specifically list community involvement as something they value. The key is presenting it correctly: with clear responsibilities, achievements, and dates.
How do I list volunteer work if I have no paid experience?
List it in a Work Experience section with no distinction from paid roles — just list the organisation name, your role title, dates, and bullet points. You do not need to label it as unpaid or volunteer unless you choose to. Many graduates and career changers successfully present volunteer roles as their primary experience section when the work is relevant and substantial enough.