How important is including voluntary activities in one's resume?

I think it is good to have volunteer activities on a LinkedIn profile, but not on a resume because the decision to hire you is not going to be made by one person alone (the hiring manager), it will be made by a group consisting of the hiring manager, the engineers you interviewed with, the HR person, and the hiring manager's manager. At least the group will consist of the hiring manager and the engineers you interviewed with. Hiring a new person to join a group is a BIG decision for a company, so technical qualifications and work experience are BY FAR the major factor. Your personality is also a big factor. Remember, the hiring manager will have to justify to both his boss and most likely his boss' boss why you are the best fit for the job, so unless all of these people are involved with Volunteer Activity X (very unlikely) then you are best to use the space on your resume to focus on technical details.

LinkedIn is great for communicating "other stuff" about yourself such as volunteer activities. Most likely, your LinkedIn profile will be viewed by the HR person and the hiring manager, so if they feel your volunteer activities are relevant to the job they will bring them up during the interview.

Many companies are involved with philanthropic activities and as such look for employees who are willing to give back as well. Voluntary activities on your resume can set you apart as someone who is involved in their community. I don't think it matters what type of field you are in, volunteering and including it on your resume indicates to the recruiter that you are a well rounded individual.

I think having volunteer experience on your resume is a good thing. It shows the employer what you are willing to do. It is also a great "filler" for a resume that is just starting. You can gain a lot of skills and experience through volunteer work. If it fits that job you are looking for, go ahead and put it on there. Your resume is something that is always changing and will (or should) not be the same for each employer. Good luck with everything!

I think it helps to give some breadth in your interview answers, by speaking to something nontechnical. You may also happen upon a recruiter or manager who finds the cause dear to their hearts and will flag your resume for that reason. Bottom line, it can't hurt to add it.

Mohammad,

I understand where Sam is coming from about limiting resume information to the pertinent matters of technical qualifications and work experience. However, based upon your previous questions on Career Village, I'm assuming that you have little or no work experience to put down on that resume. In that case, having some volunteer activity will help separate your resume from the herd. I'll once again mention IEEE as being an excellent source for this because there are many volunteer opportunities within IEEE. As an electrical engineer, having volunteer activity within IEEE would be a very positive attribute for your resume.

In a broad sense, engineers, by definition, need that volunteer activity as part of their lives. If you download the Engineer's Code of Ethics from the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the very first item listed is that engineers shall "hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public." Showing yourself willing to volunteer proves that you subscribe to that tenet. To that end, it's good when engineers get involved in their community thru volunteering and non-profits to help better the world in which we all live.