Here's how you can highlight your volunteer experience during job interviews after a layoff.
Losing your job can be a challenging experience, but it's also an opportunity to reframe your career narrative. As you prepare for job interviews, don't overlook the value of your volunteer experience. Volunteering can demonstrate initiative, commitment, and the development of new skills—all of which are attractive to potential employers. It's important to present your volunteer work in a way that aligns with the job you're applying for, showing how your unpaid efforts have kept you engaged and have contributed to your professional growth.
When discussing your volunteer experience, make sure it's relevant to the job you're interviewing for. Relate specific volunteer tasks to the position's requirements. For example, if you're applying for a marketing role and you helped with fundraising events, highlight how you used promotional strategies to increase event attendance. This shows that you've continued to hone job-specific skills during your time away from formal employment.
Focus on the transferable skills gained through volunteering that apply to the job you want. Leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and communication are often developed in volunteer settings. Explain how these skills have been sharpened as you took on various roles or projects. For instance, if you coordinated a team of volunteers, discuss how this experience has enhanced your leadership and project management abilities.
-
Volunteering is still an experience. In contributing to the success of an event or simply helping out, you gain skills and learn too. Highlighting your volunteer experience after a layoff can demonstrate resilience and valuable skills. During job interviews, focus on transferable skills gained. Emphasize impact made, the skills you learnt and how they are applicable to the prospective job role.
Emphasize personal growth that resulted from your volunteer experiences. Employers value candidates who are self-motivated and eager to learn. Talk about how volunteering has expanded your worldview, allowed you to work with diverse groups, or helped you develop a stronger work ethic. This can illustrate your adaptability and readiness to tackle new challenges.
Every volunteer experience comes with its challenges. Share how you overcame obstacles while volunteering and what you learned from those experiences. Whether it was limited resources, tight deadlines, or coordinating with a diverse team, these stories can demonstrate your problem-solving skills and resilience—qualities that are highly regarded in any professional setting.
Don't forget to mention the networking benefits of volunteering. It's an excellent way to meet professionals in your field or related industries. Talk about the connections you've made and how they've provided insights or opportunities that could be beneficial in your job search. This shows that you've been proactive in maintaining and expanding your professional network.
Lastly, highlight how volunteering has kept you engaged in your field or community during your layoff. Employers appreciate candidates who are active and committed to their professional development even during downtime. Discuss any recent trends or practices you've learned about through your volunteer work and how you've stayed up-to-date with industry developments.
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
Corporate Social ResponsibilityHere's how you can foster a strong professional network while facing a layoff in CSR.
-
Career DevelopmentWhat do you do if you need to network and build connections during a layoff?
-
ConsultingHere's how you can expand your professional network during a consulting industry layoff.
-
HR OperationsWhat are the most effective ways to promote employee volunteerism?