Don't underestimate volunteer experience - LinkedIn Tutorial

- Did you know that 40% of all hiring managers view volunteer experience as equivalent to formal work experience? If you think adding volunteer experience doesn't have an impact, think again. In fact, the LinkedIn data shows that members who've added volunteer experience receive up to six times more profile views than those without. Adding volunteer experience to your profile helps to round out your professional story and showcase what you're passionate about outside of work. Do you volunteer with the Boys & Girls Club? Add that. Or maybe you spend your free time chairing a nonprofit board that creates economic opportunity for homeless women. That can be added too. Or maybe you took some time off in between jobs and got involved with your local sustainability group by creating a business plan. Add this in. Remember, your volunteer experience doesn't have to be as robust as your work experience. Simply add the organization where you volunteer and create a one to two-sentence description of how you contribute. Let's take a look at Sue's profile for some inspiration on how to add volunteer experience. Sue volunteers at the British Red Cross where she helps communities recover from major disasters. So how would she add this to her LinkedIn profile? First, she'd click into Add profile section. She'd find Background and, under there, Volunteer experience and click the plus. Next, she'd add her organization. She volunteers at the British Red Cross, so she'd simply put that there. Her role is a disaster recovery specialist, and that pops up, so she can simply click it to add it in. Under Cause, she'll select Disaster and Humanitarian Relief. Now, Sue's currently volunteering in this role, so she can simply check the box. And then all she has to do is add in her start date, October, and her year, 2016. Finally, she adds a one to two-sentence description of what she actually does in her volunteer role. So Sue could write something like this. I volunteer my time to support individuals, families, and communities through recovery after a major disaster. Through casework and recovery planning, I help communities get back on track together. She can go in and obviously spell correct some of her issues here and then simply save it. Now Sue's added her volunteer experience, and this section populates right underneath work experience. And you can see what she has here. See how you get a good idea of what Sue is passionate about outside of her job? You also see where she spends her time and her love of working with communities. It's possible you have gaps in your work experience. Maybe you stepped away to raise kids, you left to care for a loved one, or you just needed a plain break. Perhaps during that time off, you also did volunteer work. The volunteer experience section is a great place to explain those gaps in your work experience. So use volunteer experience to include any relevant volunteer work you did during your break from the workforce. Don't underestimate the value of adding your volunteer experience. In today's world, people want a holistic picture of who you are as a professional and a person. Not to mention, adding this section can generate up to six times more profile views for you, so get ready to add or update your volunteer experience now.