Should I not disclose my volunteer experience on my Resume' ?

[Kevin]

Sounds like you interviewed with the WRONG employer. Glad to hear you did not get the job :)

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Actually, volunteer work can work to your favor! It clearly shows the employer that you are not just sitting around collecting UI benefits, but WANT to be working!

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[2 Much Whine]

C’mon PK22, tell the whole story. . . . if the volunteer work was for a church or for athiests, marijuana reform, republicans or democrats, whatever, it might go contrary to the beliefs of whoever you interviewed with. It might not just be the fact that you volunteered, it might be what you volunteered for. Also 16 years of work experience as a carpenter does not necessarily mean you have what it takes to be a chef. With that being said, sorry you didn’t get the position but as Kevin noted, you probably wouldn’t want to work in a place that doesn’t recognize what you bring to the table. Good luck in your search.

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[miws]

I seem to recall the volunteerism question actually come up on some job apps.

Whether it does, or not, I believe that a history of volunteering, especially with many hours involved, could be an asset in getting a job, as many companies participate in volunteering events.

Mike

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[DBP]

The interviewer should not have phrased it that way, but at the same time, there is a kind of weird, sad logic to it.

I mean . . . just think about the kind of society we’re living in today. It’s a society that rewards people who do socially useless things (like tossing a leather ball around on a grass field) with celebrity and riches, while making people who do socially useful things (like tutoring disadvantaged kids or visiting people in nursing homes) go begging.

PK22, since it’s clear from your long volunteer experience that you’re willing to work for nothing, the person who interviewed you may have concluded that you don’t want or don’t need a paying job.

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[Sue]

When my husband had a long period of unemployment many years back, he also did a lot of volunteer work. He had decided to only put on his resume the work that related directly to his career. He worked in IT, so he listed his volunteer work involving computer assistance, but not his volunteer work in sports.

Another thought is that the prospective employer might’ve been concerned that if you did so much volunteer work (especially while you were working in the past) that you might not have the time to work OT for them or be there when they needed you. I used to work for an attorney who always had his nose in what I did in my time off because he was concerned I’d be too tired to come in the next day and do his work if I was too busy, or that if he needed me to stay late that I might say no because I had other plans he didn’t think as important as his work. I suppose it could be looked at as less dedicated to the paying job, in some peoples’ eyes.

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[pattilea]

PK22, This topic was just on the “Today” show yesterday. They said, only list the volunteer work if it directly relates to the job you are applying for.

I am sure you can get more information on their website.

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[Sonoma]

This is a sad reflection of the prevailing attitudes at so many corporations, and why many companies resist innovation and diverse ideas. If I was interviewing a candidate for an IT position, and he or she also did lots of volunteering at, say, a local food bank or an animal shelter, I’d be impressed. This is a person with strong IT skills, but also with compassion and with interests outside the world of IT. How sad a statement about our corporate world, how sad a statement about people, if they are confined to just one narrow window in their lives–at least in what they reveal on their resumes. If I were, say, a developer or programmer, after spending 40 to 50 hours a week on my IT job, the last thing I’d want to volunteer for is more IT-related activities. You can be passionate about your job, but open your eyes to other interests.

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[The Velvet Bulldog]

This is very interesting for me because I’ve been job-hunting for some time now and always list my volunteer experience. I totally agree with what Sonoma said, and if I were hiring, I’d be interested in knowing that my employee was a well-rounded individual, and had enthusiasm and energy to do something they weren’t being paid for. However, employers are typically looking for reasons to weed someone out, so if the employer felt particular experience wasn’t applicable to the job, they might choose to pick on that. On the other hand, the resume got you in the door, so why would it be an issue in the interview?

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[dyn99]

I think it totally depends on what the volunteer experience is. I would suggest that only occasionally would an employer see it as negative, however, here are some scenarios where you may consider leaving it off – such as:

-You volunteer at an organization that creates political or societal polarization – i.e. a very conservative controversial church, or an organization like the ACLU that people typically have strong opinions about (can be positive or negative, but nearly always strong).

-Your volunteer activities suggest that you are more interested in volunteering for a specific cause than working for a paycheck. Employers are looking for stable, hard-working employees that will benefit their organization, so don’t do anything that suggests you don’t fit into that category.

-You volunteer for any type of political organization – politics are so polarizing right now that your experience may help you with 50% of potential employers and hurt you with another 50%. Given that most positions are hired with input from multiple people, a particular political persuasion runs a lower chance of being seen as positive to everyone on a committee than a single individual.

Employers do want well-rounded individuals, but their primary concern will be their devotion and skillset for the job they are hiring for. If all else is equal, the extracurricular activities will typically be beneficial, as long as they are not super-controversial.

And as an employer, we are not looking for a reason to weed out a resume. The last couple of jobs my company posted had 100-300 applicants, so we’re looking for the candidates who have the most applicable experience who fit our vision of the type of employee we want to hire.

Honestly, we don’t have time to interview 100-300 people, so we’re looking for the top 5 to 10 people who fit the “mold” we’re looking for.

All employers will have some pre-conceived idea about the type of individual and certain traits or experiences that will best suit the job, so trying to broadly appeal to the greatest number of employers gives you the greatest chance of getting an interview.

Probably the most important part about a resume is having it be clear, concise, and communicative of your strengths and experience in a way that can quickly communicate what you can do to a potential employer.

I probably give the average resume 10 seconds or less before it gets boxed into a category. Not because I don’t want to read all 300 resumes, but because I simply don’t have time to. So make sure a quick skim of your resume makes an employer want to re-read it more thoroughly. Things like clear formatting and ensuring that spelling and punctuation are accurate are very important.

Last tip – write a personal (and unique) cover letter for each job you apply to. Having great communication skills is a plus to every employer. And if you can communicate briefly and effectively how you could benefit the company by being hired for the position you’re applying for, that’s like gold to an employer.

That’s my 2 cents, for what it’s worth…

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[dbsea]

Perhaps the interviewer mistook “volunteerism” with “voyeurism.”

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[PK22]

@ dbsea, Yes I have been doing 11 years years of voyeurism just for the hell of it, in actuality the interviewer stated that although my work experience was relevant to the job for which I was applying it wasn’t enough experience and that despite my volunteer work he felt I was too much of a risk for the company. When I asked for clarification he proceeded to thank me for coming in and showed me the door. Oh Well, as some have stated it’s apparently a good thing I did not get the job.

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