Volunteer work is real experience. For school leavers, graduates and people returning to work, it can be the strongest part of a CV, because it shows reliability, skills and initiative.
Where it goes
If it is relevant to the job, list it under Experience like a paid job, with “volunteer” in the title. If it is less relevant, put it in a short Volunteering section near the end.
What to write
- Your role, the organisation and the dates.
- What you did, in two or three bullets.
- A result or number: people helped, money raised, events run.
“Volunteer tutor, community library, 2023–2025. Tutored 12 Grade 9 learners in maths every Saturday; eight improved by at least one symbol.”
Builder tip: add volunteer roles as jobs in the builder, so they get the same clear layout as paid work.
Avoid: leaving it out because it was unpaid, vague lines such as “helped at church”, and listing every one-day event.