Professional networking site LinkedIn recently launched the new feature “Volunteer Experience & Causes” for members to add to their profile. In this new feature, LinkedIn members can add their volunteer positions, causes they care about, and the charitable organizations they support.
LinkedIn surveyed nearly 2,000 professionals and found over 40% stated that when they are evaluating candidates, they would consider volunteer work equally as valuable as paid work experience. 20% of the hiring managers surveyed agree they have made a hiring decision based on a candidate’s volunteer work experience.
Including your volunteer work and community involvement on your LinkedIn profile (and your resume) is a great strategy to show potential employers a broader perspective of your various skills and interests. It’s especially valuable for job seekers - whether you have organized fundraising events in the past or are currently volunteering in your community, including these experiences will make you a more attractive candidate to employers!
To add the “Volunteer Experience & Causes” field to your LinkedIn Profile:
1. After logging in, click “Profile – Edit Profile” at the top of LinkedIn.
2. Click on “Add Sections” and select “Volunteer Experience & Causes.”
3. Click the “Add to Profile” button and then fill out the applicable fields.
Here is a screenshot of the new “Volunteer Experience & Causes” field:
Read more about the impact volunteering has on your career from The LinkedIn Blog:
