Adding volunteer work to CV

Gael23

As most of you probably know, I've been unemployed since I left college 7 months ago. Ive now gotten some voluntary work for just a couple of hours a week but I'm not sure what section of my CV to put this in.

Polar Ice

The experience section

thegreatgonzo

I have a heading for voluntary work experience in my CV underneath my actual work experience.

Mr. Loverman

Polar Ice wrote: »

The experience section

I agree. Keep it simple. Make sure one of the bullet points say it was volunteer work.

Gael23

It's more unpaid work experience really. It's not any good cause or anything.

thegreatgonzo

Fine to just put in the work experience section then I'd say.
Well done on getting it too:-) It all adds up. I started doing a few hours on Saturdays for a vet when I was in college and eventually he started to pay me for it.

Gael23

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

Fine to just put in the work experience section then I'd say.
Well done on getting it too:-) It all adds up. I started doing a few hours on Saturdays for a vet when I was in college and eventually he started to pay me for it.

I've been unemployed since I finished College last summer so it gets me doing something and fills a gap on my CV- apparently employers like to see people doing unpaid work too.
What do I put in to emphasise its unpaid?

thegreatgonzo

Well it shows you are willing to work and learn. I suppose if you are putting in a description of your duties you could say I did such and such in a voluntary capacity, or I volunteered my time to do to xyz. I'm not sure about it tbh but I'd say you will get better advice here.

Polar Ice

ryanf1 wrote: »

I've been unemployed since I finished College last summer so it gets me doing something and fills a gap on my CV- apparently employers like to see people doing unpaid work too.
What do I put in to emphasise its unpaid?

Being able to explain gaps is important. Any sort of work experience helps there.
It doesn't matter if the work is paid or unpaid, you're emphasising the same things: The skills, experience, exposure, etc... you built on or picked up from the role.

ryanf1 wrote: »

It's more unpaid work experience really. It's not any good cause or anything.

Your development is the cause, and your personal development is always a good cause (unless it was illegal......... ) When people put volunteer work or unpaid experience on their CV the emphasis is on what you learnt, developed, built on, that makes you relevant for applying to XYZ job with your CV.

Volunteering for a 'good cause' might make you feel better, but I think any hiring manager is going to focus on the skills and not 'Well he helped a charity, so he has a bigger heart'.

You communicated clearly with...
You were responsible for...
You learnt new skills about...
You kept to schedules and deadilnes...

Gael23

Polar Ice wrote: »

Being able to explain gaps is important. Any sort of work experience helps there.
It doesn't matter if the work is paid or unpaid, you're emphasising the same things: The skills, experience, exposure, etc... you built on or picked up from the role.

All I can say about the gap is that I was actively seeking employment. I don't know how well that would go down with employers but thats what I've been doing.

Gael23

Another question on this. I have other work experience on My Cv which was paid and was quite a lot more "professional". I want to get what I'm doing now noticed but I'm wondering would it be better in its own volunteering section?

thegreatgonzo

What's Nd?

Gael23

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

What's Nd?

fixed that, autocorrect on my phone!

thegreatgonzo

Sorry Ryan, I only read about gardening leave for the first time yesterday on this forum so I always assume there's some new thing I don't know about!!
It's hard to say without seeing your CV or knowing the area you are in. Have you tried printing out two different versions yourself and seeing how they read? Whatever line of work you are in, you want the relevant information to jump out at the reader rather than them having to go trawl through a lot of words to find it.

Gael23

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

Sorry Ryan, I only read about gardening leave for the first time yesterday on this forum so I always assume there's some new thing I don't know about!!
It's hard to say without seeing your CV or knowing the area you are in. Have you tried printing out two different versions yourself and seeing how they read? Whatever line of work you are in, you want the relevant information to jump out at the reader rather than them having to go trawl through a lot of words to find it.

My degree is in Business Studies (Accounting). I did my college placement in a pharmaceutical company, which although not entirely relevant, I learned and achieved a lot. This unpaid work is a community project and I'm doing stocktaking and creating a spreadsheet to make the process easier.

thegreatgonzo

I think I'd put them both down in the work experience section if they are both relevant to the type of work you are looking for. I'm not sure if my own CV is a good example because I have a lot of specific work placements and a lot of random voluntary work experience under different headings. I'd still say print both versions out and see how they read.

Gael23

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

I think I'd put them both down in the work experience section if they are both relevant to the type of work you are looking for. I'm not sure if my own CV is a good example because I have a lot of specific work placements and a lot of random voluntary work experience under different headings. I'd still say print both versions out and see how they read.

I think I will put it with my other employment. I've been unemployed since I eft college last June and got this just after christmas following feedback from many deferent interviews that I needed more experience. Also working for little or nothing to get that experience is supposed to look good on a CV.
I did look at JobBridge but I couldn't afford to live away from home on the money and anything suitable for me would have meant just that.