Understanding LinkedIn's Volunteer Experience Section
Over the years, LinkedIn has grown from a professional networking tool to a versatile platform that allows users to showcase their complete professional identity, including voluntary experience. Alongside your employment history, skills, endorsements, recommendations and achievements, you can list your volunteer experience in LinkedIn’s dedicated volunteer section. This feature takes the LinkedIn experience up a notch.
Importance of the LinkedIn Volunteer Experience Section
The LinkedIn volunteer experience section holds considerable value. It’s an ideal space for displaying your commitment to doing good and giving back, aside from your professional work. More importantly, it gives potential employers an overview of your social interests and commitments, alongside your professional qualifications and experiences.
Research shows that employer-led decisions are at times influenced by a candidate’s volunteering experience. According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, approximately 41% of the professionals surveyed stated that when evaluating candidates, they consider volunteer work equally as significant as paid work. Another 20% indicated that their volunteering experience helped them secure a job.
Volunteering often involves skills similar to those in a regular job, such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, project management, and organization. Showcasing these experiences gives you an opportunity to outline these skills and highlight your value beyond a strictly professional context to potential employers.
Moreover, many businesses encourage their employees to volunteer, as it helps build morale and a positive corporate culture. Having volunteer experience could mark you as a good cultural fit for such organizations.
How to Add Volunteer Experience on LinkedIn
Adding your volunteer experience on your LinkedIn profile is a relatively straightforward process. Start by accessing your profile, and then follow these steps:
1. Click the ‘Add profile section’ button, located on the top right-hand side of your profile. A dropdown menu will appear.
2. In this dropdown menu, hover over the ‘Background’ section until another side menu appears.
3. Click on ‘Volunteer Experience.’ This will open the volunteer experience form for you to fill out.
4. Fill in the organization you volunteered for, the role you held, the cause you worked for, the dates of your volunteering period, the location of your work, and a description of your experience.
5. Once completed, hit the ‘Save’ button and it will be displayed on your LinkedIn profile.
Your LinkedIn profile offers an excellent opportunity to project your professional image to the world. The inclusion of your volunteer experience is an integral part of that projection, one that enhances your reputation as an active participant in your community, and a socially responsible person. Moreover, it shows your dedication and commitment to causes you care about, helping you stand out amongst other candidates and showing your value beyond just your professional history.
No matter what your volunteer experience is, how small or big it is, it matters. It says something about who you are as a person disconnected from your career and accomplishments. Whether it’s helping at a local school, working at a food bank, or doing unpaid internships at a non-profit, using the LinkedIn Volunteer Experience section to convey that information can add depth and character to your professional persona on LinkedIn.
Remember, every piece of information you share collectively forms an image of who you are, and this will influence the impressions you make. Use the LinkedIn Volunteer Experience section effectively to bring the most comprehensive, accurate, and impressive picture of your collective professional experience to the fore.