How to Turn Your Volunteer Experience into Professional Success

You're returning from a volunteer mission with a head full of memories and an enriched heart. But how do you make this unique experience a springboard for your career? Far from being a "gap" on your resume, volunteering is a goldmine of skills and human qualities highly sought after by recruiters. Here's how to showcase it.

1. Identify Your Transferable Skills

The first step is to translate your experience into concrete skills. During your mission, you didn't just "help"; you developed a wide range of hard and soft skills. Think about it:

• Project Management: Did you organize an event, plan activities, or manage a small budget? That's project management.
• Intercultural Communication: Did you work in a multinational team or interact with local communities? That's a valuable skill in the age of globalization.
• Adaptability and Problem-Solving: Did you face unexpected challenges and find solutions with limited resources? This proves your resilience and creativity.
• Initiative and Autonomy: Did you propose new ideas or lead an activity from start to finish? That's a sign of leadership.

2. Highlight Your Experience on Your Resume

Don't relegate your volunteering to the "Interests" section. If the mission is relevant to the job you're applying for, integrate it into your "Professional Experience." Use action verbs and, if possible, quantify your achievements to give your descriptions more weight.

Example:

Instead of: "Volunteer at an association in Benin."

Prefer: "Environmental Awareness Project Coordinator - NCI Association, Benin (6 months)
- Designed and led 15 educational workshops on recycling for 200+ children.
- Managed a team of 5 local volunteers to organize a community cleanup day.
- Created communication materials (posters, flyers) for the event."

3. Tell Your Story in an Interview

The interview is the perfect time to bring your experience to life. Prepare concrete examples to illustrate the skills you've listed. The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is perfect for this:

• Situation: Describe the context. (e.g., "The local school had no waste sorting system.")
• Task: What was your goal? (e.g., "My mission was to implement an awareness program.")
• Action: What did you do specifically? (e.g., "I created educational games, organized visits...")
• Result: What was the impact? (e.g., "By the end of my mission, the school had reduced its waste by 30%, and the children had become recycling ambassadors at home.")

An Asset That Makes a Difference

By intelligently showcasing your volunteer work, you demonstrate much more than technical skills to an employer. You show your open-mindedness, your commitment, your ability to step out of your comfort zone, and your motivation. In today's professional world, these qualities are priceless.