Do Employers Consider Volunteer Work When Hiring?

If you’ve ever stared at your half-empty resume and thought, 'Is it worth putting my volunteer work here?', trust me, you’re not alone. We tend to think only “official” jobs make the cut, but here’s a little inside scoop — sometimes, what you’ve done for free speaks even louder than what you’ve done for a paycheck. Job hunters, career changers, high schoolers, and parents returning to work like me—so many of us wonder if employers actually care about the stuff we do outside regular employment. The short answer? Yes, but the reasons behind it are way more interesting than you’d guess. Let’s pull back the curtain on the real impact of volunteer work and how it changes what hiring managers see in you.

Why Volunteer Experience Catches Employers’ Eyes

Think of the hiring process as dating but with less ghosting (well, sometimes less). Hiring managers want to know what makes you tick, what drives you, and how well you’ll fit with their crew. Volunteer work is like that extra spark in your profile. According to a 2016 LinkedIn survey, 41% of employers said they consider volunteer work as valuable as paid work when looking at candidates. That’s not just empty talk — more than 90% of employers in Australia reported in a SEEK survey that showcasing community involvement makes people stand out.

Here’s why it works: volunteering shows you have passion beyond a paycheck, you’re willing to put in effort where you might not get a direct reward, and you can work with folks from every walk of life. That paints a picture of someone motivated, adaptable, and probably a team player — solid gold in today’s job market. And if you’re newer to the workforce or switching fields like I did when my kids started school, those hours helping run sausage sizzles or coaching soccer can fill the dreaded “gaps” in your work history.

According to a Deloitte survey on volunteering, 82% of managers said they prefer candidates with volunteer experience. It shows resourcefulness, creativity, leadership, and ability to solve problems. Sometimes that’s clearer in volunteer roles than in rigid job titles. So yes, it’s not about charity points — it’s about skills you actually use on the job.

The Hard Skills and Soft Skills You Can Show Off From Volunteering

Let’s break down the magic trick. Volunteering can pack way more skills onto your resume than you might guess. Maybe you ran the P&C stall at the school fete every year and wrangled five volunteers, half a dozen suppliers, and tracked a spreadsheet of funds. That’s project management and teamwork, plain and simple. Or you spent weekends cleaning up parklands using logistical apps to organise groups? That’s tech-savviness, initiative, and leadership in one package.

Employers Break Down Skills Into Two Types:

• Hard skills – Think working with budgets, managing websites, planning events, or using specific tools (like Canva to make flyers for a charity walk).
• Soft skills – These get most HR folks excited. Communication, empathy, time management, conflict resolution, and reliability seriously pop out. These are the skills that tell someone, “Hey, I can work with your team, even on tough days.”

This isn’t some abstract guesswork either. A 2023 Volunteering Australia snapshot found that people who volunteered regularly were more likely to pick up IT and digital skills, people management experience, and even public speaking know-how. When you sew all that together, you become less of a stranger on paper — your resume tells a fuller story, and employers can more easily imagine you in the job.

How to List Volunteer Work on Your Resume — Without Sounding Like You’re Padding

There’s a difference between 'I walked dogs for my neighbor' and 'I coordinated logistics for a team of volunteers at the RSPCA'. Employers can spot fluff from a mile away, but real impact jumps off the page. Here’s how you make sure your volunteer gigs don’t get overlooked:

1. Choose the roles with the richest stories. Pick volunteer experiences where you actually did something — led, created, managed, or solved problems.
2. Drop the “volunteer” tag if it’s not relevant. If you basically did the same tasks a paid coordinator would, just list your title and show the achievements. For example, “Project Coordinator, Smithville Community Clean-Up.”
3. Quantify, quantify, quantify. Numbers give weight. 'Raised $5,700 over two years' reads way stronger than 'helped raise funds.'
4. Don’t hide it at the bottom. Especially if you’re early in your career or returning from a long break, slide those roles higher up in your resume. Give them their own section, right after professional experience or even combined if the skills matched a real job description.
5. Be clear on transferable skills. “Managed a team of 10” or “Created and presented training sessions for 30+ volunteers” shows you’re ready to take charge — exactly the stuff employers want.

Try this quick hack: Write down what you did, not just what the organisation does. Instead of saying 'Worked at a food bank,' spell out, 'Coordinated weekly delivery schedules, reducing missed orders by 30%'. This is the stuff that actually makes a recruiter pause and say, “Oh, cool. They can handle complex logistics.”

How Employers Actually Use Volunteer Experience When Deciding Who to Hire

It’s not just HR departments peeking at your resume with a magnifying glass. Many Aussie companies are under pressure to hire people who “get” their culture, who can adapt fast, and who bring more than textbook knowledge. When we chat with real-life recruiters — the ones who remember hundreds of faces weekly — they’ll tell you: strong “culture fit” often beats out one extra year of experience. Guess what? Volunteer work reveals culture fit in a way traditional jobs can’t.

Let’s get concrete. In 2024, a Sydney-based tech firm hired a mid-career woman because, on top of her marketing skills, she also spent years volunteering at an LGBTQ youth group. Her ability to teach, listen, and create inclusive events made her stand out in interviews, way more than a rival who just listed creative director job after job. Another company wanted staff who value sustainability — candidates who did bush regeneration with Landcare walked straight to the interview shortlist, even if their CVs weren’t the shiniest on paper.

Employers also notice volunteer work during background checks. In some cases, especially in education, healthcare, or any role involving vulnerable groups, seeing related volunteer experience helps prove your own sense of responsibility — sort of a low-key character reference.

It’s not just a “nice-to-have.” According to a 2023 SEEK survey, 49% of employers say relevant volunteer work would tip the scales between two otherwise similar candidates. For those switching careers, returning from a long break (like after having kids—been there), or just entering the workforce, this boost can be the game-changer.

Tips to Leverage Volunteer Work in Your Job Search (And What To Avoid)

Ready to make your volunteer record work for you? Here’s what works — and what to skip. First, be strategic: match your experience to the job you want. If a role needs heaps of planning and organisation, highlight event roles or anything with schedules and money tracking.

During interviews, have stories in your back pocket. Don’t just say “I volunteered with the Red Cross.” Say, “While running a holiday appeal drive, our team hit double our target in one week after I created a new social media campaign.” These kinds of anecdotes show what you’ll actually bring to their team — not just that you’re a nice person.

• Keep it professional. If your volunteer days were years ago and you haven’t built on them since, consider how recent and relevant the experiences are. Focus on where you made progress or picked up fresh skills.
• Don’t embellish. It’s easy to puff up a meal delivery gig into “logistics manager,” but it’s better to stay honest and specific.
• Align with your story. Maybe you volunteered with a refugee program because you’re passionate about language access — connect those dots in your cover letter and interview. This makes your application memorable.
• Update your LinkedIn. The volunteer section is a great place to mix in soft skills and interests. According to LinkedIn, members who list volunteer experience get 27% more profile views than those who don’t.
• Network. Volunteering by itself is win-win, but the people you meet along the way know you outside job titles — and sometimes, that’s exactly how you get a tip about a great opening.

If you want to add a volunteer gig now, choose something where you’ll gain the most transferable skills, or pick something you genuinely enjoy. You’ll stick with it, and you’ll have better stories to share on your next coffee catch-up or job interview.

So, bottom line: yes, employers do look at volunteer work. But it’s not about points for being a good citizen — it’s about showing who you are when there’s no paycheck on the line. Whether you’re just starting out, working your way back in, or flipping your whole career, the time you spend helping others sends a clear message: you show up, you care, and you’re ready for whatever comes next. Don’t hide that from future employers — let it shine.