Can I Put Volunteering as Work Experience?

Turning Service into Career-Boosting Skills

If you’ve ever wondered whether volunteering “counts” as work experience, you’re not alone. Many students, job seekers, or even professionals in career transition ask the same question. The good news is: yes, you can, and should, include volunteering as part of your work experience.

Whether you’ve helped at a food drive, organised a fundraiser, tutored children, or supported a non-profit event, your time as a volunteer has helped you gain real, transferable skills. In this blog post, we explore how and why volunteering belongs on your CV, and how to present it professionally.

Why Volunteering Counts as Work Experience

Volunteering may be unpaid, but it often mirrors real-world work situations. It involves:

• Following instructions and completing tasks
• Working in teams
• Managing time and resources
• Communicating effectively
• Solving problems under pressure

If that sounds like what you’d find in a workplace—it’s because it is.

You may not have earned a salary, but you earned experience—and that matters to employers, universities, and scholarship committees.

What Skills Can You Gain from Volunteering?

Here are just a few examples of valuable, transferable skills that many volunteers pick up:

• Leadership – Running a team project, taking initiative, managing logistics
• Communication – Writing reports, speaking with community members, presenting ideas
• Collaboration – Working with diverse teams, respecting different perspectives
• Problem-solving – Adapting to limited resources, resolving conflicts, thinking on your feet
• Time management – Meeting deadlines, managing multiple responsibilities
• Professionalism – Showing up on time, being accountable, delivering quality work

These are exactly the kinds of skills that employers and institutions look for—even more than formal qualifications in some cases.

Who Should Include Volunteering as Work Experience?

Volunteering is particularly valuable to include on your CV or application if you are:

• A student or school leaver with limited paid work experience
• A university applicant needing to show personal development or community involvement
• A career changer looking to bridge gaps or shift industries
• A professional returning to the workforce after a break
• A young adult applying for scholarships, internships, or leadership programs

It shows that you’re proactive, motivated, and socially conscious qualities that set candidates apart in a competitive job market.

Where and How to Include It on Your CV

Option 1: Under “Work Experience”

If your volunteering involved real responsibility or job-like tasks (e.g., event coordination, admin support, team leadership), you can list it in your Work Experience section like this:

Community Outreach Assistant (Volunteer)
Dignity Dreams  – Johannesburg | Jan 2024 – Present

• Coordinated monthly donation drives and tracked incoming goods
• Managed volunteer shifts using scheduling software
• Helped raise over R30,000 through social media campaigns

Option 2: Under “Volunteer Experience” or “Community Service”

If your tasks were shorter or more casual (e.g., one-day events, packing drives), you can still include them in a separate section:

Volunteer – Meal Pack Campaign
Volunteer Now – Sandton | July 2024

• Packed and sorted 150 food parcels for distribution to shelters
• Worked with a team of 12 to complete tasks within tight timeframes
• Earned 3 verified service hours

Option 3: Under “Extracurricular Activities” (for learners)

For high school learners applying to universities, adding a service-based extracurricular section can help:

Interact Club Member (2023–2024)

• Participated in weekly meetings and local outreach activities
• Organised school-wide fundraising event for community clinic
• Logged 40 verified hours through Volunteer Now platform

Make It Credible

If you want your volunteering experience to be taken seriously:

• Be specific. What exactly did you do? What did you achieve?
• Use active verbs. Organised, led, collaborated, facilitated, implemented.
• Quantify where possible. How many hours? How many people helped?
• Include the organisation’s name and the dates you volunteered.
• Provide references, if appropriate.

Volunteer Now makes this easier with hour tracking, certificates, and event records you can use to support your CV or application.

Real Impact: How Volunteering Helped Young People Land Jobs

Here are a few examples from the Volunteer Now community:

Thando, 18 – School Leaver

“I didn’t have any formal work experience, but I had over 40 hours of volunteering through Volunteer Now. I included it in my CV, and during my first interview, the employer said it really stood out that I had ‘worked with purpose’. I got the internship!”

Maya, 22 – University Student

“Volunteering during my holidays helped me develop communication skills I never learned in the classroom. I now use those examples in every cover letter I write.”

Final Thoughts: Volunteering is Valuable

Don’t underestimate your contributions just because you weren’t paid. Volunteering shows initiative, heart, and the willingness to work. These are all qualities that matter in school, work, and life.

So, can you put volunteering as work experience?

Yes—because it is work. And the kind that makes you better, braver, and more employable.

Need verified volunteer hours and experiences to add to your CV?
Sign up for upcoming events at www.volunteernow.co.za and start building your portfolio—one meaningful hour at a time.