LinkedIn is all about standing out so that someone viewing your LinkedIn profile will have all the reasons for contacting and hiring you.
There is a lot of competition among job seekers on LinkedIn, and adding the volunteer experience section can give you an upper hand in helping you to stand out.
Do you know how to add a volunteer section to your LinkedIn profile?
Using the mobile app or desktop version, you can add your volunteer experience on LinkedIn. To add the section, start by accessing your LinkedIn account. Next, click on your profile and tap the “View profile” button. In the new window, click the “Add section” option, and under the “Additional” click the “Add volunteer experience” button. Doing so will open a page with fields to fill. Once you do, tap the “Save” button to add your volunteer experience section.
This guide covers why adding a volunteer experience section to LinkedIn is important. We will see the steps to follow for that for mobile and desktop. Also, we will discuss the best tips for adding the volunteer experience section to make it stand out and win you jobs.
Should I Add Volunteer Experience to LinkedIn?
A volunteer experience section is optional, and no one will judge you for not adding it. However, a LinkedIn survey showed that most managers and recruiters hire employees with volunteering experience.
Your LinkedIn profile is your resume. If you are on LinkedIn looking for new opportunities, then you must ensure that your LinkedIn profile stands out and can fight for you when a recruiter is viewing other profiles to decide who to hire.
Furthermore, a volunteering experience is one way of showcasing your other skills. It highlights your leadership skills, team building, responsibility, and self-motivation.
The best part is that a manager or employer can know you are committed even when no payment is involved. Therefore, it assures them that you can commit to your work when hired and that you are not salary driven, but instead, you are self-motivated.
So, do you have a community service experience or a history where you did some good volunteering to help somewhere, whether it relates to your field or not? Yes? Then it’s time you added that to your LinkedIn.
How To Add Volunteer Experience to LinkedIn
Adding a volunteering experience section is the same as adding any other section on your LinkedIn, and you can achieve that using your LinkedIn mobile app or desktop version.
Using LinkedIn Mobile App
The steps below accommodate Android and iOS:
- Open the LinkedIn app.
- Tap on your Linked profile picture at the top.
- Click the “View profile” option.
- Tap the “Add Section” on the next screen.
- Under “Add to profile”, click on “Additional”.
- Click on the “Add volunteer experience” button.
- Fill in the required details in the various fields, including the cause and date.
- Once you are done, click the “Save” button at the bottom of the window.
That’s it. Your volunteer experience will now be visible on your LinkedIn profile when someone is viewing your profile.
Using LinkedIn Desktop Version
- Open LinkedIn on the desktop app or via a browser.
- Tap the Me icon at the top below your profile picture.
- Click the “View Profile” button.
- Tap the “Add profile section” button.
- Tap on the “Additional” section.
- Select the “Add volunteer experience” option.
- Add the required details in the given fields.
- Finally, click the “Save” button to update your LinkedIn profile with the new section.
Tips on Adding Volunteer Experience to LinkedIn
We’ve seen the steps for adding the volunteering experience section on your profile, but there are a few things to note when adding the section to ensure everything works to your advantage.
First, focus on adding volunteering experiences that directly relate to your field.
For instance, if you are a techie, consider adding experience where you worked in a company or a computer department in a school. That way, an employer can tell that you’ve gained experience in the field.
Also, focus on mentioning areas where you worked for NGOs or where no payment was involved. That way, your self-motivation will be visible, with or without pay.
Lastly, add your recent experiences and details on how you helped in the area.
For instance, you can mention how you helped boost sales or how you managed to serve returning customers since you joined.
Conclusion
A volunteering experience is a great boost to your LinkedIn profile.
Besides, there is no harm in adding one, and this article has presented the steps for adding a volunteering section on your LinkedIn and offered tops to help boost the section.
