how to write a personal statement for volunteer work

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to write a great community service essay.

College Admissions , Extracurriculars

Are you applying to a college or a scholarship that requires a community service essay? Do you know how to write an essay that will impress readers and clearly show the impact your work had on yourself and others?

Read on to learn step-by-step instructions for writing a great community service essay that will help you stand out and be memorable.

What Is a Community Service Essay? Why Do You Need One?

A community service essay is an essay that describes the volunteer work you did and the impact it had on you and your community. Community service essays can vary widely depending on specific requirements listed in the application, but, in general, they describe the work you did, why you found the work important, and how it benefited people around you.

Community service essays are typically needed for two reasons:

#1: To Apply to College

• Some colleges require students to write community service essays as part of their application or to be eligible for certain scholarships.
• You may also choose to highlight your community service work in your personal statement.

#2: To Apply for Scholarships

• Some scholarships are specifically awarded to students with exceptional community service experiences, and many use community service essays to help choose scholarship recipients.
• Green Mountain College offers one of the most famous of these scholarships. Their "Make a Difference Scholarship" offers full tuition, room, and board to students who have demonstrated a significant, positive impact through their community service

Getting Started With Your Essay

In the following sections, I'll go over each step of how to plan and write your essay. I'll also include sample excerpts for you to look through so you can get a better idea of what readers are looking for when they review your essay.

Step 1: Know the Essay Requirements

Before your start writing a single word, you should be familiar with the essay prompt. Each college or scholarship will have different requirements for their essay, so make sure you read these carefully and understand them.

Specific things to pay attention to include:

• Length requirement
• Application deadline
• The main purpose or focus of the essay
• If the essay should follow a specific structure

Below are three real community service essay prompts. Read through them and notice how much they vary in terms of length, detail, and what information the writer should include.

From the Equitable Excellence Scholarship:

"Describe your outstanding achievement in depth and provide the specific planning, training, goals, and steps taken to make the accomplishment successful. Include details about your role and highlight leadership you provided. Your essay must be a minimum of 350 words but not more than 600 words."

From the Laura W. Bush Traveling Scholarship:

"Essay (up to 500 words, double spaced) explaining your interest in being considered for the award and how your proposed project reflects or is related to both UNESCO's mandate and U.S. interests in promoting peace by sharing advances in education, science, culture, and communications."

From the LULAC National Scholarship Fund:

"Please type or print an essay of 300 words (maximum) on how your academic studies will contribute to your personal & professional goals. In addition, please discuss any community service or extracurricular activities you have been involved in that relate to your goals."

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas

Even after you understand what the essay should be about, it can still be difficult to begin writing. Answer the following questions to help brainstorm essay ideas. You may be able to incorporate your answers into your essay.

• What community service activity that you've participated in has meant the most to you?
• What is your favorite memory from performing community service?
• Why did you decide to begin community service?
• What made you decide to volunteer where you did?
• How has your community service changed you?
• How has your community service helped others?
• How has your community service affected your plans for the future?

You don't need to answer all the questions, but if you find you have a lot of ideas for one of two of them, those may be things you want to include in your essay.

Writing Your Essay

How you structure your essay will depend on the requirements of the scholarship or school you are applying to. You may give an overview of all the work you did as a volunteer, or highlight a particularly memorable experience. You may focus on your personal growth or how your community benefited.

Regardless of the specific structure requested, follow the guidelines below to make sure your community service essay is memorable and clearly shows the impact of your work.

Samples of mediocre and excellent essays are included below to give you a better idea of how you should draft your own essay.

Step 1: Hook Your Reader In

You want the person reading your essay to be interested, so your first sentence should hook them in and entice them to read more. A good way to do this is to start in the middle of the action. Your first sentence could describe you helping build a house, releasing a rescued animal back to the wild, watching a student you tutored read a book on their own, or something else that quickly gets the reader interested. This will help set your essay apart and make it more memorable.

Compare these two opening sentences:

"I have volunteered at the Wishbone Pet Shelter for three years."

"The moment I saw the starving, mud-splattered puppy brought into the shelter with its tail between its legs, I knew I'd do whatever I could to save it."

The first sentence is a very general, bland statement. The majority of community service essays probably begin a lot like it, but it gives the reader little information and does nothing to draw them in. On the other hand, the second sentence begins immediately with action and helps persuade the reader to keep reading so they can learn what happened to the dog.

Step 2: Discuss the Work You Did

Once you've hooked your reader in with your first sentence, tell them about your community service experiences. State where you work, when you began working, how much time you've spent there, and what your main duties include. This will help the reader quickly put the rest of the essay in context and understand the basics of your community service work.

Not including basic details about your community service could leave your reader confused.

Step 3: Include Specific Details

It's the details of your community service that make your experience unique and memorable, so go into the specifics of what you did.

For example, don't just say you volunteered at a nursing home; talk about reading Mrs. Johnson her favorite book, watching Mr. Scott win at bingo, and seeing the residents play games with their grandchildren at the family day you organized. Try to include specific activities, moments, and people in your essay. Having details like these let the readers really understand what work you did and how it differs from other volunteer experiences.

Compare these two passages:

"For my volunteer work, I tutored children at a local elementary school. I helped them improve their math skills and become more confident students."

"As a volunteer at York Elementary School, I worked one-on-one with second and third graders who struggled with their math skills, particularly addition, subtraction, and fractions. As part of my work, I would create practice problems and quizzes and try to connect math to the students' interests. One of my favorite memories was when Sara, a student I had been working with for several weeks, told me that she enjoyed the math problems I had created about a girl buying and selling horses so much that she asked to help me create math problems for other students."

The first passage only gives basic information about the work done by the volunteer; there is very little detail included, and no evidence is given to support her claims. How did she help students improve their math skills? How did she know they were becoming more confident?

The second passage is much more detailed. It recounts a specific story and explains more fully what kind of work the volunteer did, as well as a specific instance of a student becoming more confident with her math skills. Providing more detail in your essay helps support your claims as well as make your essay more memorable and unique.

Step 4: Show Your Personality

It would be very hard to get a scholarship or place at a school if none of your readers felt like they knew much about you after finishing your essay, so make sure that your essay shows your personality. The way to do this is to state your personal strengths, then provide examples to support your claims. Take some time to think about which parts of your personality you would like your essay to highlight, then write about specific examples to show this.

• If you want to show that you're a motivated leader, describe a time when you organized an event or supervised other volunteers.
• If you want to show your teamwork skills, write about a time you helped a group of people work together better.
• If you want to show that you're a compassionate animal lover, write about taking care of neglected shelter animals and helping each of them find homes.

Step 5: State What You Accomplished

After you have described your community service and given specific examples of your work, you want to begin to wrap your essay up by stating your accomplishments. What was the impact of your community service? Did you build a house for a family to move into? Help students improve their reading skills? Clean up a local park? Make sure the impact of your work is clear; don't be worried about bragging here.

If you can include specific numbers, that will also strengthen your essay. Saying "I delivered meals to 24 home-bound senior citizens" is a stronger example than just saying "I delivered meals to lots of senior citizens."

Also be sure to explain why your work matters. Why is what you did important? Did it provide more parks for kids to play in? Help students get better grades? Give people medical care who would otherwise not have gotten it? This is an important part of your essay, so make sure to go into enough detail that your readers will know exactly what you accomplished and how it helped your community.

"My biggest accomplishment during my community service was helping to organize a family event at the retirement home. The children and grandchildren of many residents attended, and they all enjoyed playing games and watching movies together."

"The community service accomplishment that I'm most proud of is the work I did to help organize the First Annual Family Fun Day at the retirement home. My job was to design and organize fun activities that senior citizens and their younger relatives could enjoy. The event lasted eight hours and included ten different games, two performances, and a movie screening with popcorn. Almost 200 residents and family members attended throughout the day. This event was important because it provided an opportunity for senior citizens to connect with their family members in a way they aren't often able to. It also made the retirement home seem more fun and enjoyable to children, and we have seen an increase in the number of kids coming to visit their grandparents since the event."

The second passage is stronger for a variety of reasons. First, it goes into much more detail about the work the volunteer did. The first passage only states that she helped "organize a family event." That really doesn't tell readers much about her work or what her responsibilities were. The second passage is much clearer; her job was to "design and organize fun activities."

The second passage also explains the event in more depth. A family day can be many things; remember that your readers are likely not familiar with what you're talking about, so details help them get a clearer picture.

Lastly, the second passage makes the importance of the event clear: it helped residents connect with younger family members, and it helped retirement homes seem less intimidating to children, so now some residents see their grand kids more often.

Step 6: Discuss What You Learned

One of the final things to include in your essay should be the impact that your community service had on you. You can discuss skills you learned, such as carpentry, public speaking, animal care, or another skill.

You can also talk about how you changed personally. Are you more patient now? More understanding of others? Do you have a better idea of the type of career you want? Go into depth about this, but be honest. Don't say your community service changed your life if it didn't because trite statements won't impress readers.

In order to support your statements, provide more examples. If you say you're more patient now, how do you know this? Do you get less frustrated while playing with your younger siblings? Are you more willing to help group partners who are struggling with their part of the work? You've probably noticed by now that including specific examples and details is one of the best ways to create a strong and believable essay .

"As a result of my community service, I learned a lot about building houses and became a more mature person."

"As a result of my community service, I gained hands-on experience in construction. I learned how to read blueprints, use a hammer and nails, and begin constructing the foundation of a two-bedroom house. Working on the house could be challenging at times, but it taught me to appreciate the value of hard work and be more willing to pitch in when I see someone needs help. My dad has just started building a shed in our backyard, and I offered to help him with it because I know from my community service how much work it is. I also appreciate my own house more, and I know how lucky I am to have a roof over my head."

The second passage is more impressive and memorable because it describes the skills the writer learned in more detail and recounts a specific story that supports her claim that her community service changed her and made her more helpful.

Step 7: Finish Strong

Just as you started your essay in a way that would grab readers' attention, you want to finish your essay on a strong note as well. A good way to end your essay is to state again the impact your work had on you, your community, or both. Reiterate how you changed as a result of your community service, why you found the work important, or how it helped others.

Compare these two concluding statements:

"In conclusion, I learned a lot from my community service at my local museum, and I hope to keep volunteering and learning more about history."

"To conclude, volunteering at my city's American History Museum has been a great experience. By leading tours and participating in special events, I became better at public speaking and am now more comfortable starting conversations with people. In return, I was able to get more community members interested in history and our local museum. My interest in history has deepened, and I look forward to studying the subject in college and hopefully continuing my volunteer work at my university's own museum."

The second passage takes each point made in the first passage and expands upon it. In a few sentences, the second passage is able to clearly convey what work the volunteer did, how she changed, and how her volunteer work benefited her community.

The author of the second passage also ends her essay discussing her future and how she'd like to continue her community service, which is a good way to wrap things up because it shows your readers that you are committed to community service for the long-term.

What's Next?

Are you applying to a community service scholarship or thinking about it? We have a complete list of all the community service scholarships available to help get your search started!

Do you need a community service letter as well? We have a step-by-step guide that will tell you how to get a great reference letter from your community service supervisor.

Thinking about doing community service abroad? Before you sign up, read our guide on some of the hazards of international volunteer trips and how to know if it's the right choice for you.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Volunteer Personal Statements Samples For Students

17 samples of this type

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Writing a Personal Statement Essay for Volunteer Job

Just like with CVs, even if the volunteering job post doesn’t require submission of motivation letter, it doesn’t mean you won’t have to send it. The interviewer can ask you to send CV + motivation letter or essay upon the completion of the interview.

That’s why it’s highly important to think about writing a personal statement at the very beginning. This will give you time to decide what to write, how to write it, and make sure the motivation letter is well-crafted before you send an email.

Although it seems like volunteering motivation letter is easy to write, it still holds a trap that you should avoid. When it comes to this type of program, most people focus only on their desire to help, contribute, learn etc. Although all these qualities are great, you shouldn’t make your motivation letter to them only. Instead, to make it stand out, do the opposite – compose a highly professional motivation letter that will STILL depict your positive characteristics.

The very first paragraph of the motivation letter should be similar to the beginning of an essay for paid position – introduce yourself as well as program wherein you want to participate.

The second paragraph should focus on your previous job experiences and accomplishments in both volunteers and paid positions. Your goal here is to show you are capable of performing tasks they might give you. But also, it’s important to demonstrate that you do understand the program and its challenges. Incorporating both paid and volunteer positions into the same paragraph is used for making a connection between the two. Both positions are similar and different at the same time.

Finished papers

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If you have achievements or important accomplishments, feel free to include them. Let’s say you worked for some financial company for a limited period of time and you were still voted an employee of the month. It’s an amazing achievement and could definitely bring you closer to the program, particularly if you apply for volunteering program in a field of finances and economy.

Once you complete the “professional” segment (work experiences + achievements etc.) it’s time to focus on your personality. Describe your attitude towards work and other people in a few sentences. Be precise and specific.

End the motivation letter stating the recipient should feel free to contact you for more info. Also, emphasize your availability and interest to become a part of the program. When you’re done, reread the motivation letter, correct all typos or grammatical mistakes and that’s it. The word count doesn’t really matter here, but don’t make it too long. In fact, 500 words should be a maximum.

If you are not sure about your ability to write a statement it is normal to ask professional writing service “ Help me write my personal statement “.

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Home › University › How To Write A Personal Statement? 10 Tips + Student Questions Answered › How To Write About Work Experience In Your Personal Statement

How To Write About Work Experience In Your Personal Statement

• Published October 25, 2021

Table of Contents

We get it – you’re dying to include your work experience in your personal statement, but how do you write about work experience in your personal statement ? Work experience is an essential component of your personal statement . It shows that you are passionate and knowledgeable about your chosen course. Some courses require prior work experience before you can apply.

So if you’re looking for a way to showcase your work experience, this blog post is just what you need. Learn how to write about work experience effectively in your statement to help you stand out from the crowd and get into the university of your dreams.

Check The Course Requirements For Work Experience

Some courses require you to have work experience before applying (e.g. medical courses.) You may need to complete a certain number of working hours before you’re eligible. It’s best to check out the course requirements before writing your work experience personal statement. If you’re thinking of applying to medicine then check out our medical personal statement advice , likewise with our how to write a law personal statement .

With that said, other courses don’t require work experience. But it does elevate your personal statement if you have relevant work experiences to share.

Examples Of Work Experience

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to writing your work experience personal statement is determining whether an activity counts as “work experience” or not. Here are examples of work experience you may need to include:

• Extracurricular Activities

These are activities that are not included within your formal curriculum. Being a member of the sports team, debate club, Red Cross, or theatre group are good examples.

• Formal Work Placements

Formal work placements are exposures to real-world experience. These are often required as part of your curriculum.

• Volunteer Work

There are tons of volunteer work you could’ve participated in. Maybe you helped out at animal shelters, environmental conservation activities, or feeding programs.

• Part-Time Jobs

Part-time jobs are significant for your work experience personal statement. Working as a customer service agent, freelance writer, or salesperson at a local store demonstrates a sense of responsibility on your part. Mention what’s relevant to the course you’re applying for! Competitions. Look out for competitions in areas that interest you, for example, design, writing, maths, or business.

• Personal Projects

Your personal projects reflect what you love doing. That’s why there’s a high probability they’re related to the course you’re applying for.

If you love coding, you may have built websites. Love writing? Maybe you’ve set up your own blog! Write them down in your work experience personal statement.

• Leadership Positions

If you occupied leadership positions in your organisations relevant to your chosen course, mention them! Universities are on the lookout for motivated individuals willing to take responsibility.

The list of work experiences to include in your personal statement hopefully helps, but make sure to check out our what not to put in a personal statement .

Writing down your leadership positions can take your work experience personal statement up a higher notch.

State Your Work Experience

You now have a solid idea of relevant work experience you need to include in your personal statement. But how will you present it? Here are questions to eliminate writer’s block:

Make good use of these starters to kick off your writing. Brainstorm all relevant details of your work experience. We’ll sort them out later. And, if you’re wondering how to start a personal statement then wonder no more!

Discuss What You Learned, And Why It’s Essential

After stating the facts about your work experience, it’s time to get to the heart of the matter. You are writing your work experience personal statement not to brag about your achievements, but showing why you’re serious about your course .

That’s why discussing what you learned is essential. Beyond your role, share what insights you’ve gained that helped shape your character.

If you’re not sure how to start, let these questions unknot your ideas:

• How did this position impact you?
• What are the primary skills you’ve gained that are relevant to your course?
• How does this experience influence your decisions in pursuing your study goals?
• How does this experience relate to your general ability to succeed in your course?
• What are the major lessons you’ve learned that are helping you grow as an individual person ?
• What is your biggest takeaway from this position?
• Are there significant interactions that impacted your desire to take the course?

After answering these questions, craft a powerful paragraph that demonstrates how deep your understanding is.

The more interesting facts you share about yourself, the better. Bring your work experience personal statement to life with vivid details that convey essential ideas about who you are.

Ideas For Essential Skills

You may be unaware of skills you possess that are relevant and essential for your course. To make sure you won’t forget to mention them, here are skill ideas common across fields:

• The ability to communicate to higher-ups, colleagues, and clients
• Perseverance amidst challenges
• A sense of duty and obligation
• Eagerness to serve the community, especially the marginalised
• Critical thinking skills to overcome setbacks
• Initiative to work independently
• Knows how to work in a team setting
• Shows energy and enthusiasm to
• Motivation to work hard and do well

These are some of the common skills valuable across several fields of study. Among these, which describes you most? Go ahead and write about it!

Demonstrate Understanding Of The Course You’re Applying For

Your work experience should deepen your understanding of the course you’re applying for. Dig deeper and reflect on these points:

• How is your course making a positive change in the world? If you’re eyeing health-related courses, explain how health workers significantly impact people’s lives. Do you want to apply for education-related courses? Relay a story of how significant educators in your life changed you for the better.
• Mention the gaps and problems you see in the field. Do you see a severe lack of health facilities? Perhaps you’ve witnessed the challenges teachers and professors experience in the education system.
• What do you plan to do about it? Demonstrate that you’re applying for your chosen course because you want to help solve the problems that you see. Convince the admissions board that you’re the person for the course by writing about your desire to be an agent of change!

Reach Out To People Who’ve Been Where You Want To Be

To enhance your work experience personal statement, reach out to people who’ve been where you want to be. University students and practising staff are the perfect individuals you can approach.

Set appointments with them and ask them about their experience. What is it like to be in their position? What are the challenges that they see? What are they doing to improve their field of study?

Best of all, solicit advice on how to write your work experience personal statement. What skills do the admissions boards search for?

Then go back to your personal statement and write about your new connections. Mention how their insights and advice shed greater light on how your work experience will help you succeed in your course.

Do this, and you’re guaranteed to show a richer work experience personal statement.

Read Up On The Current Situation Of Your Chosen Field

Soak up knowledge on the current challenges and breakthroughs of your chosen field. Read journal articles, news websites, and featured stories. You can also visit blogs written by practitioners or university students.

Make sure to cite authoritative sources and figures when discussing the status quo. Then weave the information back to your work experience.

Do you have similar experiences with the figures you’ve mentioned? Have they discussed situations you experienced yourself? How are you making a difference in the field? Will your perspective matter?

What a perfect way to build credibility for your work experience personal statement!

Check Out Work Experience Personal Statement Examples

You now have a rich draft of your work experience personal statement. But you’re unsure of how to word and structure it.

Why not check out work experience personal statement examples on the web? Examine how they presented their experiences and insights. Make sure to read as many examples as you can.

Choose your top 3 favourites and save them in your documents. If you’re short of ideas, go back to them. Don’t forget to highlight paragraphs, sentences, and words that inspire you.

Be Authentic And Vulnerable 

Don’t be afraid of being vulnerable in your work experience personal statement. The admissions board needs to know if you are genuinely passionate about this course or not, so don’t hold back!

But remember to stay authentic. Don’t overdramatise mundane events. State events as they happened, and share your realisations as they are. Authenticity is a precious factor!

Action The Above To ‘Work’ On Your Personal Statement

With the suggestions mentioned above, you’ll be able to craft a more compelling and impactful work experience personal statement. Understand that this is YOUR story. Don’t copy others’ work experience personal statements.

Make your own angle and spin, and rest assured that the admissions board will want to read about YOU in your chosen course!

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10 Tips on Writing an Impressive Personal Statement About Volunteering for Your College Application

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Learn how to effectively write about your volunteering experiences in your personal statement and showcase your dedication to making a difference.

Writing about volunteering in your personal statement can be a daunting task, but it is also an excellent opportunity to showcase your character and dedication to serving others. As you begin to reflect on your experiences, consider the impact that volunteering has had on your personal growth, as well as the positive impact it has had on those around you. Whether you have spent time working with children, assisting at a homeless shelter, or volunteering abroad, there are many ways to highlight your unique contributions and demonstrate your commitment to making a difference in the world.

Volunteering is an admirable activity that can not only benefit the community but also help you stand out in your personal statement. However, writing about volunteering can be challenging as it requires you to showcase your experiences in a way that highlights your strengths and qualities. In this article, we will provide you with some tips on how to write about volunteering in your personal statement.

Choose the right volunteering experience

The first step in writing about volunteering is to choose the right experience. You should select a volunteering experience that is relevant to your field of study or that shows your leadership skills, problem-solving abilities, or teamwork. For example, if you are applying for a medical program, you could write about your experience volunteering at a hospital.

Focus on your impact

When writing about volunteering, it is essential to focus on the impact you made rather than the tasks you performed. You should highlight what you accomplished and how your volunteer work made a positive difference in the lives of others. For example, if you volunteered at a soup kitchen, instead of saying you served food, you could say that you helped feed hundreds of people who would have otherwise gone hungry.

Showcase your skills

Volunteering can help you develop various skills that are transferable to your career or academic pursuits. You should showcase these skills in your personal statement by providing examples of how you used them during your volunteer work. For example, if you volunteered as a tutor, you could say that you developed your communication skills by explaining complex concepts to students.

Be specific

When writing about your volunteering experience, it is important to be specific. Instead of using general terms, you should provide specific details that paint a clear picture of what you did and the impact you made. For example, instead of saying you volunteered at a nursing home, you could say that you spent every Saturday afternoon for six months playing board games and reading to elderly residents.

Connect your volunteering to your goals

Your volunteering experience should not exist in a vacuum but should connect to your goals and aspirations. You should explain how your volunteer work has influenced your decision to pursue a particular career or academic path. For example, if you volunteered at a legal clinic, you could say that it inspired you to pursue a law degree.

Show humility

While it is essential to showcase your achievements, it is also important to show humility. You should avoid sounding boastful or arrogant and instead focus on the impact your volunteer work had on others. For example, instead of saying you were the best volunteer at a soup kitchen, you could say that you were humbled by the experience of helping those in need.

Provide context

When writing about volunteering, you should provide context for your experiences. You should explain why you chose a particular organization or initiative and how it aligns with your values and goals. For example, if you volunteered at a refugee center, you could say that you did it because you believe in helping those who are marginalized and that it aligns with your interest in social justice.

Use concrete examples

Using concrete examples can help make your personal statement more compelling and memorable. Instead of making general statements about your volunteer work, you should provide specific examples that illustrate your experiences. For example, instead of saying you volunteered at a food bank, you could say that you helped organize a fundraiser that raised $10,000 and provided food for 500 families.

Be authentic

Finally, when writing about volunteering, it is important to be authentic. You should write from the heart and share your genuine thoughts and feelings about your experiences. Don’t try to write what you think the admissions committee wants to hear but rather what is true to you.

In conclusion, writing about volunteering in your personal statement can be a great way to stand out from the crowd and showcase your strengths and qualities. By choosing the right experience, focusing on your impact, showcasing your skills, being specific, connecting to your goals, showing humility, providing context, using concrete examples, and being authentic, you can write a compelling personal statement that highlights the value of your volunteer work.

Starting your personal statement with a personal story is a great way to capture the attention of the reader. Sharing an anecdote that highlights your experience as a volunteer can provide a glimpse into who you are and how this experience has impacted your life. This personal touch can make your statement more relatable and engaging. When discussing your volunteer work, it’s important to focus on impact. Demonstrate how your efforts have made a difference in your life and the lives of those you helped. Highlight the impact your work has had on the community you served. This will show the reader that you truly care about making a positive difference in the world. Volunteering provides an opportunity to develop new skills and talents. Showcase your accomplishments and the skills you have honed through your volunteer work. This can include anything from leadership and teamwork to communication and problem-solving. Highlighting these skills can demonstrate your potential as a valuable asset to any organization. Linking your volunteer experience to your future goals is also crucial. Explain how your volunteering has helped shape your career aspirations and how it will continue to shape your future. This can show the reader that you have a clear vision for your future and that you are taking steps to achieve your goals. Being specific about the organizations you served and the tasks you completed can give your statement more depth and allow for a stronger connection with the reader. It shows that you have a deep understanding of the issues facing the community and that you have taken concrete action to address them. Volunteering can often come with its fair share of challenges. Reflecting on any obstacles you faced during your volunteer work and how you overcame them can show resilience and determination. It also demonstrates your ability to overcome adversity and thrive in difficult situations. Showing a commitment to volunteering by highlighting the length of time you have dedicated to the organizations you worked with can demonstrate a strong level of dedication and reliability. It shows that you have a long-term commitment to making a positive impact in the community. Conveying your passion for volunteering and explaining why it is important to you can help the reader understand your drive and motivation. This can make your statement more compelling and memorable. Highlighting any diversity you encountered during your volunteer work and how it has enriched your life can demonstrate your ability to work with people from different backgrounds and experiences. It also shows that you value diversity and are committed to promoting inclusion and understanding. Lastly, discussing how your volunteer work has helped you grow as a person and how it has impacted your personal values is crucial. Volunteering provides a unique opportunity for personal growth and development. Discussing this growth can show the reader that you are not only committed to making a difference in the world, but also to becoming a better person in the process.

Volunteering is a noble activity that can help individuals develop various skills and experiences. Moreover, it can also benefit the community and provide positive impacts on society. Writing about volunteering in your personal statement can be an effective way to showcase your character, values, and interests. Here are some tips on how to write about volunteering in your personal statement:

• Start with an engaging introduction

Begin your personal statement with a captivating introduction that will catch the reader’s attention. You can start by sharing a brief story or experience that inspired you to volunteer. This will create a connection between you and the reader and make them interested in reading further.

• Provide details about your volunteer work

When writing about your volunteer work, make sure to provide specific details about what you did, where you volunteered, and how long you volunteered for. This will give the reader a clear understanding of your involvement and commitment to the cause.

• Showcase your skills and experiences

Volunteering can provide individuals with various skills and experiences that can be beneficial in their personal and professional lives. When writing about volunteering in your personal statement, highlight the skills and experiences you have gained through your volunteer work. For example, if you volunteered at a hospital, you might have developed skills in communication, teamwork, and empathy.

• Explain why you chose to volunteer

It’s important to explain why you chose to volunteer in the first place. This will demonstrate your motivation and passion for the cause you volunteered for. You can also share any personal connections or experiences that influenced your decision to volunteer.

• Show the impact of your volunteer work

Finally, make sure to show the impact of your volunteer work. This can include any positive changes or outcomes that resulted from your volunteer work. For example, if you volunteered at a homeless shelter, you might have contributed to providing food and shelter for people in need.

In conclusion, writing about volunteering in your personal statement can be a great way to showcase your character, values, and experiences. By following these tips, you can effectively communicate the importance of volunteering and demonstrate your passion for making a positive impact on society.

Hello there, dear readers! I hope this article has been helpful to you in learning how to write about volunteering in your personal statement. As we all know, volunteering is a noble act that not only benefits the community but also helps individuals develop their skills and character. However, conveying one’s volunteering experiences can be challenging, especially when it comes to writing about them in a personal statement.

Firstly, it is important to remember that your personal statement should reflect who you are as an individual. Therefore, when writing about your volunteering experiences, try to focus on aspects that align with your values and goals. For instance, if you want to pursue a career in healthcare, you could talk about how volunteering at a hospital helped you develop empathy and compassion for patients. Alternatively, if you are interested in environmental studies, you could describe your experience volunteering at a local park or nature reserve.

Secondly, it is crucial to avoid being generic or superficial when writing about volunteering. Instead of simply listing the organizations you volunteered for or the tasks you performed, try to delve deeper into the impact your volunteering had on you and others. What did you learn from your experiences? How did they shape your perspective on life? What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them? By answering these questions, you can provide a more meaningful and engaging portrayal of your volunteering experiences.

In conclusion, writing about volunteering in your personal statement can be a daunting task, but it is also an opportunity to showcase your character, skills, and aspirations. By focusing on your values and goals, avoiding clichés, and providing specific examples of your experiences, you can create a compelling narrative that sets you apart from other applicants. Remember, volunteering is not just about doing good; it is also about growing as a person and contributing to society. So, go ahead and share your story with the world!

When it comes to writing about volunteering in your personal statement, you may have some questions and concerns. Here are some common people also ask questions about how to write about volunteering in a personal statement:

How should I mention my volunteering experience in my personal statement?

You can mention your volunteering experience in your personal statement by highlighting the skills and experiences you gained from it. For example, if you volunteered at a food bank, you could talk about how it taught you about teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. You could also discuss how your volunteer work aligns with your future career goals and how it has influenced your personal growth.

How much space should I dedicate to discussing my volunteering experience?

This depends on how important your volunteering experience is to your overall story and how relevant it is to the program you are applying to. If volunteering played a significant role in shaping your interests and career aspirations, you may want to dedicate a paragraph or two to it. However, if your volunteering experience is not directly related to your field of study or career path, you may want to briefly mention it without going into too much detail.

What should I avoid when writing about my volunteering experience?

Avoid exaggerating your role or impact in your volunteer work. Be honest about what you did and what you learned. Also, be careful not to sound like you are bragging or using your volunteer work solely to impress the admissions committee. Instead, focus on how your experiences have shaped you as a person and how they have prepared you for the next step in your academic or career journey.

Should I include specific details about my volunteer work?

Yes, including specific details about your volunteer work can make your personal statement more memorable and impactful. For example, you could mention the name of the organization you volunteered with, the amount of time you spent volunteering, and any specific projects or initiatives you worked on. This can help demonstrate your commitment to volunteering and highlight your unique experiences.

How can I use my volunteering experience to stand out in my personal statement?

You can use your volunteering experience to stand out in your personal statement by connecting it to your personal and academic goals. For example, if you volunteered at a hospital and plan to pursue a career in healthcare, you could discuss how your experiences volunteering helped you confirm your passion for the field. You could also discuss any leadership roles you took on during your volunteer work or any challenges you overcame that demonstrate your resilience and determination.

Remember, your personal statement should be personal and authentic. Use your own voice and tone to share your story and highlight the experiences that have shaped you into the person you are today.

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Writing a Personal Statement

Preparing to Write

Brainstorming, don't forget, sample prompts.

A personal statement is a narrative essay that connects your background, experiences, and goals to the mission, requirements, and desired outcomes of the specific opportunity you are seeking. It is a critical component in the selection process, whether the essay is for a competitive internship, a graduate fellowship, or admittance to a graduate school program. It gives the selection committee the best opportunity to get to know you, how you think and make decisions, ways in which past experiences have been significant or formative, and how you envision your future. Personal statements can be varied in form; some are given a specific prompt, while others are less structured. However, in general a personal statement should answer the following questions:

• Who are you?
• What are your goals?
• How does this specific program/opportunity help you achieve your goals?
• What is in the future?

A personal statement is not:

• A variation of your college admissions essay
• An academic/research paper
• A narrative version of your resume
• A creative writing piece (it can be creative, though)
• An essay about somebody else

Keep in mind that your statement is only a portion of the application and should be written with this in mind. Your entire application package will include some, possibly all, of the materials listed below. You will want to consider what these pieces of the application communicate about you. Your personal statement should aim to tie everything together and fill in or address any gaps. There will likely be some overlap but be sure not to be too repetitive.

• Personal Statement(s)
• Transcripts
• Letters of recommendations
• Sample of written work
• Research proposal

Preparing to Write A large portion of your work towards completing a personal statement begins well before your first draft or even an outline. It is incredibly important to be sure you understand all of the rules and regulations around the statement. Things to consider before you begin writing:

• How many prompts? And what are they? It is important to know the basics so you can get your ideas in order. Some programs will require a general statement of interest and a focused supplementary or secondary statement closely aligned with the institution's goals.
• Are there formatting guidelines? Single or double spaced, margins, fonts, text sizes, etc. Our general guideline is to keep it simple.
• How do I submit my statement(s)? If uploading a document we highly suggest using a PDF as it will minimize the chances of accidental changes to formatting. Some programs may event ask you to copy and paste into a text box.
• When do I have to submit my statement(s)? Most are due at the time of application but some programs, especially medical schools, will ask for secondary statements a few months after you apply. In these instances be sure to complete them within two weeks, any longer is an indication that you aren't that interested in the institution.

Before you start writing, take some time to reflect on your experiences and motivations as they relate to the programs to which you are applying. This will offer you a chance to organize your thoughts which will make the writing process much easier. Below are a list of questions to help you get started:

• What individuals, experiences or events have shaped your interest in this particular field?
• What has influenced your decision to apply to graduate school?
• How does this field align with your interests, strengths, and values?
• What distinguishes you from other applicants?
• What would you bring to this program/profession?
• What has prepared you for graduate study in this field? Consider your classes at Wellesley, research and work experience, including internships, summer jobs and volunteer work.
• Why are you interested in this particular institution or degree program?
• How is this program distinct from others?
• What do you hope to gain?
• What is motivating you to seek an advanced degree now?
• Where do you see yourself headed and how will this degree program help you get there?

For those applying to Medical School, if you need a committee letter for your application and are using the Medical Professions Advisory Committee you have already done a lot of heavy lifting through the 2017-2018 Applicant Information Form . Even if you aren't using MPAC the applicant information form is a great place to start.

Another great place to start is through talking out your ideas. You have a number of options both on and off campus, such as: Career Education advisors and mentors ( you can set up an appointment here ), major advisor, family, friends. If you are applying to a graduate program it is especially important to talk with a faculty member in the field. Remember to take good notes so you can refer to them later.

When you begin writing keep in mind that your essay is one of many in the application pool. This is not to say you should exaggerate your experiences to “stand out” but that you should focus on clear, concise writing. Also keep in mind that the readers are considering you not just as a potential student but a future colleague. Be sure to show them examples and experiences which demonstrate you are ready to begin their program.

It is important to remember that your personal statement will take time and energy to complete, so plan accordingly. Every application and statement should be seen as different from one another, even if they are all the same type of program. Each institution may teach you the same material but their delivery or focus will be slightly different.

In addition, remember:

• Be yourself: You aren’t good at being someone else
• Tragedy is not a requirement, reflection and depth are
• Research the institution or organization
• Proofread, proofread, proofread
• How to have your personal statement reviewed

The prompts below are from actual applications to a several types of programs. As you will notice many of them are VERY general in nature. This is why it is so important to do your research and reflect on your motivations. Although the prompts are similar in nature the resulting statements would be very different depending on the discipline and type of program, as well as your particular background and reasons for wanting to pursue this graduate degree.

• This statement should illustrate your academic background and experiences and explain why you would excel in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (UMass Amherst - M.S. in Civil Engineering).
• Describe your academic and career objectives and how the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies can help you achieve them. Include other considerations that explain why you seek admissions to the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and your interests in the environmental field (Yale - Master of Environmental Management).  
• Please discuss your academic interests and goals. Include your current professional and research interests, as well as your long-range professional objectives. Please be as specific as possible about how your objectives can be met at Clark and do not exceed 800 words (Clark University - M.A. in International Development and Social Change).
• Write a 500- to 700-word statement that describes your work or research. Discuss how you came to focus on the medium, body of work, or academic area you wish to pursue at the graduate level. Also discuss future directions or goals for your work, and describe how the Master of Fine Arts in Studio (Printmedia) is particularly suited to your professional goals (School of the Art Institute of Chicago - MFA in Studio, Printmaking).
• Your statement should explain why you want to study economics at the graduate level. The statement is particularly important if there is something unusual about your background and preparation that you would like us to know about you (University of Texas at Austin - Ph.D in Economics).
• Your personal goal statement is an important part of the review process for our faculty members as they consider your application. They want to know about your background, work experience, plans for graduate study and professional career, qualifications that make you a strong candidate for the program, and any other relevant information (Indiana University Bloomington - M.S.Ed. in Secondary Education).
• Your autobiographical essay/personal statement is a narrative that outlines significant experiences in your life, including childhood experiences, study and work, your strengths and aspirations in the field of architecture, and why you want to come to the University of Oregon (University of Oregon - Master of Architecture).
• Personal history and diversity statement, in which you describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. You may refer to any educational, familial, cultural, economic or social experiences, challenges, community service, outreach activities, residency and citizenship, first-generation college status, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how your life experiences contribute to the social, intellectual or cultural diversity within a campus community and your chosen field; or how you might serve educationally underrepresented and underserved segments of society with your graduate education (U.C. Davis - M.A. in Linguistics).
• A Personal Statement specifying your past experiences, reasons for applying, and your areas of interest. It should explain your intellectual and personal goals, why you are interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary degree rather than a more traditional disciplinary one, and how this degree fits into your intellectual and personal future (Rutgers University - Ph.D in Women’s and Gender Studies).
• Your application requires a written statement to uploaded into your application and is a critical component of your application for admission. This is your opportunity to tell us what excites you about the field of library and information science, and what problems you want to help solve in this field. Please also tell us how your prior experiences have prepared you for this next step toward your career goals and how this program will help you achieve them (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill - Master of Science in Library Science).
• After watching the video, please describe what strengths and preferences as a learner you have that will facilitate your success in this innovative curriculum. What challenges in our curriculum do you anticipate and what strategies might you use to address these challenges? (MGH Institute of Health Professions PT - They recently redesigned their curriculum)
• Your personal goal statement should briefly describe how you view the future of the field, what your goals are to be part of that future, and what brought you to pursue an advanced education degree in your chosen field. You may include any other information that you feel might be useful. (Northeastern PT)
• Personal Statement: In 500 words or less, describe a meaningful educational experience that affected your professional goals and growth and explain how it impacted you. The educational experience does not need to be related to this degree. Focus on the educational experience and not why you think you would be a good professional in this field. (Simmons PT)
• Personal Statement (500 word minimum): State your reasons for seeking admission to this program at this institution. Include your professional goals, why you want to pursue a career in this field and how admission to this program will assist you in accomplishing those goals. (Regis College Nursing)
• “Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to this type of program.” (AMCAS)
• Address the following three questions(Though there is no set limit, most statements are 1–2 pages, single-spaced.): What are your reasons for pursuing this degree? Why do you wish to pursue your degree at this institution? How do you intend to leverage your degree in a career of this field? (Boston University MPH)
• Please submit a personal statement/statement of purpose of no more than 500 words for the department/degree of choice. Professional degree essays require a clear understanding of the _______ field and how you hope to work within the field. Be sure to proofread your personal statement carefully for spelling and grammar. In your statement, be sure to address the following: what interests you in the field of _____ what interests you in a specific degree program and department at this institution and what interests you in a particular certificate (if applicable). Please also describe how you hope to use your ________ training to help you achieve your career goals. (Columbia PhD in Public Health - Epidemiology)
• Because each Home Program requires significant original research activities in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, we are interested in obtaining as much information as possible about your previous research experiences. Those who already have such experience are in a better position to know whether they are truly interested in performing ______ research as part of a graduate program. Please include specific information about your research experience in your Statement of Purpose. You may also use the Statement to amplify your comments about your choice of Home Program(s), and how your past experiences and current interests are related to your choice. Personal Statements should not exceed two pages in length (single spaced). Make sure to set your computer to Western European or other English-language setting. We cannot guarantee the ability to access your statement if it is submitted in other fonts. (Stanford Biosciences PhD)
• Your statement of purpose should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the Department of ____ at ___ University. It would be helpful to include what you have done to prepare for this degree program. Please describe your research interests, past research experience, future career plans and other details of your background and interests that will allow us to evaluate your ability to thrive in our program. If you have interests that align with a specific faculty member, you may state this in your application. Your statement of purpose should not exceed two pages in length (single spaced). (Stanford Bioengineering PhD)
• Statement of purpose (Up to one page or 1,000 words): Rather than a research proposal, you should provide a statement of purpose. Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at this institution and your relevant experience and education. Please provide an indication of the area of your proposed research and supervisor(s) in your statement. This will be assessed for the coherence of the statement; evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study; the ability to present a reasoned case in English; and commitment to the subject. (Oxford Inorganic Chemistry - DPhil)

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4 Tips To Talk About Volunteering In Your Medicine Personal Statement

Learn how to write about volunteering in your Personal Statement for Medicine and prove that you're a strong candidate.

Volunteering is the perfect way to give back to your community, gain valuable skills and bolster your Medical School application at the same time. Follow these tips to write about volunteering in your Medicine Personal Statement .

Reflect on what you learned from volunteering

Don’t just provide a list of tasks you completed while volunteering – you really need to reflect on what you learned from the experience. This is what admissions tutors want you to write about in your Personal Statement, and also what interviewers want you to discuss at your Medical School interviews .

Did you gain any new skills from volunteering? Skills that are relevant to working in Medicine, such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving, are particularly good to mention. Did volunteering teach you anything about the realities of working in a medical or healthcare-related environment?

Remember that it’s relevant in a lot of ways

When writing your Personal Statement , you need to think about Motivation, Exploration and Suitability – essentially covering why you want to pursue Medicine, what you have done to explore Medicine as a career, and why you are suited to becoming a Doctor.

Volunteering (and work experience ) can be relevant in all three of these areas. For example, you might have:

• observed or experienced something while volunteering that cemented your decision to pursue Medicine (Motivation)
• learned important lessons about working in Medicine, if your volunteering was based in a medical environment (Exploration)
• gained key skills from volunteering that make you a strong candidate for Medical School (Suitability)

Obviously, your Personal Statement shouldn’t just be about volunteering – but remember that you may be able to include it in more ways than you thought!

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Link your volunteering experience to Medicine

Even if you didn’t volunteer in a medical or healthcare-related environment, you can still link your volunteering experience to Medicine.

People skills are just as important as academic skills when it comes to working as a Doctor, and many voluntary roles involve interacting with the public. It’s also likely that you worked with other volunteers, which must have involved teamwork – and balancing the time commitment of volunteer work with staying on top of your studies must have required good time management.

These are all relevant skills to working in Medicine, so you can discuss them in your Personal Statement and provide examples from your volunteering as evidence.

Don’t just focus on the positives

Volunteering can be tough at times and Doctors need to be resilient, so you might want to cite a situation where, for example, you overcame a challenge.

If you reflect on voluntary work (or work experience) in a purely positive way, admissions tutors and interviewers might think that you are bending the truth to tell them what you believe they want to hear.

In the application process, they are looking for candidates who understand the realities of working in Medicine. The ideal candidate will be able to cope with stress, failure and difficult tasks such as breaking bad news – so if any aspects of your volunteer work have made you a more resilient person, this is useful to mention in your Personal Statement.

Find out more: Medicine Personal Statement Examples

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Getting Started on Your Volunteer Bio

• June 25, 2020
• Professional bios , Volunteer Bios , Work Skills

Those who truly give of themselves to support a cause deserve their bio on the company’s site. In a nonprofit organization, many times the organization runs on both paid and volunteer staff. These volunteers aren’t just kids trying to pad their resumes for college; they come from all walks of life. These volunteers are doctors , nurses , lawyers, real estate agents , the list goes on! Many found their passion and are contributing not only their time but also financial support.

Many volunteers also work at their current jobs or business and come in on weekends and holidays. We know of one volunteer who has a construction business, and along with his crew he fixed and built much-needed items at the local animal shelter where he volunteers. These types of volunteers are truly selfless and worth their weight in gold. So in lieu of pay, every courtesy and nicety given must be exceptional.

Volunteer bios must feature what currently do for a living or the line of work he or she has retired from. A volunteer bio must also highlight the charity or charities of choice and their missions. A volunteer’s time should be honored because they donate something of value that they could otherwise get compensated for.

What are the must-haves in a volunteer bio?

• Full name, and if there is a nickname, include it.
• Their current or retired career. 
• Awards or accolades they have received in their career. 
• Their superpower at the organization where they are volunteering their time.
• Hobbies (other than volunteering), if any. 
• Include a picture, depending on the organization.
• Include mentions of their family.

* Some other helpful tips for your volunteer bio:

           * Make sure to keep it as short as possible, no more than a couple of paragraphs.

           * Adding humor is a very nice touch.

           * Add in anything important to the volunteer, or even a quote or why they volunteer.

Need some more guidance about writing your bio for the nonprofit sector? We provide some more tips and a sample nonprofit bio in our short video !

Read an excerpt from our bio writing ebook, “Just Add a Smile and a Handshake — A Starter Guide to Writing Your Bio” for tips and guidance for creating a volunteer bio.

If you’re interested in learning about our bio writing services , please email us at [email protected] or call us at 818-488-1543. 

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Lisa Freedland is a Scholarships360 writer with personal experience in psychological research and content writing. She has written content for an online fact-checking organization and has conducted research at the University of Southern California as well as the University of California, Irvine. Lisa graduated from the University of Southern California in Fall 2021 with a degree in Psychology.

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Zach Skillings is the Scholarships360 Newsletter Editor. He specializes in college admissions and strives to answer important questions about higher education. When he’s not contributing to Scholarships360, Zach writes about travel, music, film, and culture. His work has been published in Our State Magazine, Ladygunn Magazine, The Nocturnal Times, and The Lexington Dispatch. Zach graduated from Elon University with a degree in Cinema and Television Arts.

Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

The personal statement. It’s one of the most important parts of the entire college application process. This essay is the perfect opportunity to show admissions officers who you are and what makes you stand out from the crowd. But writing a good personal statement isn’t exactly easy. That’s why we’ve put together the ultimate guide on how to nail your personal statement, complete with example essays . Each essay was reviewed and commented upon by admissions expert Bill Jack. Let’s dive in!

Related: How to write an essay about yourself  

What is a personal statement? 

A personal statement is a special type of essay that’s required when you’re applying to colleges and scholarship programs. In this essay, you’re expected to share something about who you are and what you bring to the table. Think of it as a chance to reveal a side of yourself not found in the rest of your application. Personal statements are typically around 400 – 600 words in length. 

What can I write about? 

Pretty much anything, as long as it’s about you . While this is liberating in the sense that your writing options are nearly unlimited, it’s also overwhelming for the same reason. The good news is that you’ll probably be responding to a specific prompt. Chances are you’re applying to a school that uses the Common App , which means you’ll have seven prompts to choose from . Reviewing these prompts can help generate some ideas, but so can asking yourself meaningful questions. 

Below you’ll find a list of questions to ask yourself during the brainstorming process. For each of the following questions, spend a few minutes jotting down whatever comes to mind. 

• What experiences have shaped who you are? 
• What’s special or unique about you or your life story? 
• Who or what has inspired you the most? 
• What accomplishments are you most proud of? 
• What are your goals for the future? How have you arrived at those goals? 
• If your life was a movie, what would be the most interesting scene? 
• What have been some of the biggest challenges in your life? How did you respond and what did you learn? 

The purpose of these questions is to prompt you to think about your life at a deeper level. Hopefully by reflecting on them, you’ll find an essay topic that is impactful and meaningful. In the next section, we’ll offer some advice on actually writing your essay. 

Also see:  How to write a 500 word essay

How do I write my personal statement? 

Once you’ve found a topic, it’s time to start writing! Every personal statement is different, so there’s not really one formula that works for every student. That being said, the following tips should get you started in the right direction:  

1. Freewrite, then rewrite 

The blank page tends to get more intimidating the longer you stare at it, so it’s best to go ahead and jump right in! Don’t worry about making the first draft absolutely perfect. Instead, just get your ideas on the page and don’t spend too much time thinking about the finer details. Think of this initial writing session as a “brain dump”. Take 15-30 minutes to quickly empty all your thoughts onto the page without worrying about things like grammar, spelling, or sentence structure. You can even use bullet points if that helps. Once you have your ideas on the page, then you can go back and shape them exactly how you want. 

2. Establish your theme 

Now that you’ve got some basic ideas down on the page, it’s time to lock in on a theme. Your theme is a specific angle that reflects the central message of your essay. It can be summarized in a sentence or even a word. For example, let’s say you’re writing about how you had to establish a whole new group of friends when you moved to a new city. The theme for this type of essay would probably be something like “adaptation”. Having a theme will help you stay focused throughout your essay. Since you only have a limited number of words, you can’t afford to go off on tangents that don’t relate to your theme. 

3. Tell a story

A lot of great essays rely on a specific scene or story. Find the personal anecdote relevant to your theme and transfer it to the page. The best way to do this is by using descriptive language. Consult the five senses as you’re setting the scene. What did you see, hear, taste, touch, or smell? How were you feeling emotionally? Using descriptive language can really help your essay come to life. According to UPchieve , a nonprofit that supports low income students, focusing on a particular moment as a “ revised version of a memoir ” is one way to keep readers engaged. 

Related: College essay primer: show, don’t tell  

4. Focus on your opening paragraph

Your opening paragraph should grab your reader’s attention and set the tone for the rest of your essay. In most cases, this is the best place to include your anecdote (if you have one). By leading with your personal story, you can hook your audience from the get-go. After telling your story, you can explain why it’s important to who you are. 

Related:  How to start a scholarship essay (with examples)

5. Use an authentic voice 

Your personal statement reflects who you are, so you should use a tone that represents you. That means you shouldn’t try to sound like someone else, and you shouldn’t use fancy words just to show off. This isn’t an academic paper, so you don’t have to adopt a super formal tone. Instead, write in a way that allows room for your personality to breathe. 

6. Edit, edit, edit…

Once you’re done writing, give yourself some time away from the essay. Try to allow a few days to pass before looking at the essay again with fresh eyes. This way, you’re more likely to pick up on spelling and grammatical errors. You may even get some new ideas and rethink the way you wrote some things. Once you’re satisfied, let someone else edit your essay. We recommend asking a teacher, parent, or sibling for their thoughts before submitting. 

Examples of personal statements 

Sometimes viewing someone else’s work is the best way to generate inspiration and get the creative juices flowing. The following essays are written in response to four different Common App prompts: 

Prompt 1: “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.”

When I was eight years old, I wanted a GameCube very badly. For weeks I hounded my dad to buy me one and finally he agreed. But there was a catch. He’d only get me a GameCube if I promised to start reading. Every day I played video games, I would have to pick up a book and read for at least one hour. At that point in my life, reading was just something I had to suffer through for school assignments. To read for pleasure seemed ludicrous. Needless to say, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about this proposed agreement. But I figured anything was worth it to get my hands on that shiny new video game console, so I bit the bullet and shook my dad’s hand. Little did I know that I had just made a life-changing deal. 

At first, the required hour of reading was a chore — something I had to do so I could play Mario Kart. But it quickly turned into something more than that. To my complete and utter surprise, I discovered that I actually enjoyed reading. One hour turned into two, two turned into three, and after a while I was spending more time reading than I was playing video games. I found myself captivated by the written word, and I read everything I could get my hands on. Lord of the Rings , Percy Jackson , Goosebumps — you name it. I was falling in love with literature, while my GameCube was accumulating dust in the TV stand. 

Soon enough, reading led to writing. I was beginning to come up with my own stories, so I put pen to paper and let my imagination run wild. It started out small. My first effort was a rudimentary picture book about a friendly raccoon who went to the moon. But things progressed. My stories became more intricate, my characters more complex. I wrote a series of science fiction novellas. I tried my hand at poetry. I was amazed at the worlds I could create with the tip of my pen. I had dreams of becoming an author. 

Then somewhere along the way my family got a subscription to Netflix, and that completely changed the way I thought about storytelling. My nose had been buried in books up until then, so I hadn’t really seen a lot of movies. That quickly changed. It seemed like every other day a pair of new DVDs would arrive in the mail (this was the early days of Netflix). Dark Knight, The Truman Show, Inception, Memento — all these great films were coming in and out of the house. And I couldn’t get enough of them. Movies brought stories to life in a way that books could not. I was head over heels for visual storytelling. 

Suddenly I wasn’t writing novels and short stories anymore. I was writing scripts for movies. Now I wanted to transfer my ideas to the big screen, rather than the pages of a book. But I was still doing the same thing I had always done. I was writing, just in a different format. To help with this process, I read the screenplays of my favorite films and paid attention to the way they were crafted. I kept watching more and more movies. And I hadn’t forgotten about my first love, either. I still cherished books and looked to them for inspiration. By the end of my junior year of high school, I had completed two scripts for short films. 

So why am I telling you all this? Because I want to turn my love of storytelling into a career. I’m not totally sure how to do that yet, but I know I have options. Whether it’s film production, creative writing, or even journalism, I want to find a major that suits my ambitions. Writing has taken me a long way, and I know it can take me even further. As I step into this next chapter of my life, I couldn’t be more excited to see how my craft develops. In the meantime, I should probably get rid of that dusty old GameCube. 

Feedback from admissions professional Bill Jack

Essays don’t always have to reveal details about the student’s intended career path, but one thing I like about this essay is that it gives the reader a sense of the why. Why do they want to pursue storytelling. It also shows the reader that they are open to how they pursue their interest. Being open to exploration is such a vital part of college, so it’s also showing the reader that they likely will be open to new things in college. And, it’s always fun to learn a little bit more about the student’s family, especially if the reader can learn about how the students interacts with their family. 

Prompt 2: “The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?”

I remember my first impression of Irvine: weird. It was foggy, stock-full of greenery and eucalyptus trees, and reminded me of my 5th grade trip to a “science camp” which was located in the San Bernardino mountains. Besides Irvine, that was one of the few places in Southern California where you’d find so many non-palm trees. 

Of course, perhaps my initial impression of Irvine was biased, motivated by a desire to stay in my hometown and a fear of the unknown. While that was true to an extent, Irvine was certainly still a little peculiar. The city itself was based on a “master plan” of sorts, with the location of each of its schools, parks, shops, and arguably its trees having been logically “picked” before the foundation was poured. Even the homes all looked roughly the same, with their beige, stucco walls almost serving as a hallmark of the city itself.

Thus, this perfectly structured, perfectly safe city seemed like a paradise of sorts to many outsiders, my parents included. I was a little more hesitant to welcome this. As I saw it, this was a phony city – believing that its uniformity stood for a lack of personality. My hometown, although not as flawlessly safe nor clean as Irvine, was where most of my dearest memories had occurred. From the many sleepovers at Cindie’s house, to trying to avoid my school’s own version of the “infamous” cheese touch, to the many laughs shared with friends and family, I shed a tear at the prospect of leaving my home.

Moving into the foreign city, remnants of the hostility I held towards Irvine remained. Still dwelling in my memories of the past, I was initially unable to see Irvine as a “home.” So, as I walked into my first-ever Irvine class, being greeted by many kind, yet unfamiliar faces around me, I was unable to recognize that some of those new faces would later become some of my dearest friends. Such negative feelings about the city were further reinforced by newer, harder classes, and more complicated homework. Sitting in the discomfort of this unfamiliar environment, it started to seem that “change” was something not only inevitable, but insurmountable.

As the years went on, however, this idea seemed to fade. I got used to my classes and bike racing through Irvine neighborhoods with my friends, watching the trees that once seemed just a “weird” green blob soon transform into one of my favorite parts of the city. While I kept my old, beloved memories stored, I made space for new ones. From carefully making our way over the narrow creek path next to our school, to the laughs we shared during chemistry class, my new memories made with friends seemed to transform a city I once disliked into one I would miss. 

Through this transformation, I have come to recognize that change, although sometimes intimidating at first, can open the door to great times and meaningful connections. Although Irvine may have once seemed like a strange, “phony” place that I couldn’t wait to be rid of, the memories and laughs I had grown to share there were very real. As I move onto this next part of my life, I hope I can use this knowledge that I have gained from my time in Irvine to make the most of what’s to come. Even if the change may be frightening at first, I have learned to embrace what’s on the other side, whether green or not.

One huge plus to writing an essay that focuses on a place is that you might have it read by someone who has been there. Yet, what’s really helpful about this essay is that even if someone hasn’t been there, a picture is painted about what the place is like.  Admission officers have the hard task of really understanding what the student sees, so the use of adjectives and imagery can really help.  It’s also really clever to see that the green that’s mentioned at the beginning is mentioned at the end.  It’s a nice way to bookend the essay and tie it all together.

Prompt 6: “Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?”

I like getting lost. Not literally, of course, but figuratively. Whether it be in the story of a love song by Taylor Swift, or in the memories brought back by listening to my favorite childhood video game’s background music, I’ve always appreciated music’s ability to transport me to another place, another time, another feeling. 

Alas, I cannot sing, nor have I practiced an instrument since my middle school piano class days. So, perhaps Kurt Vonnegut was right. As he puts it, “Virtually every writer I know would rather be a musician.” While I cannot speak for others, I have certainly not debunked his theory. Writing allows many, including myself, to attempt to mimic the transformative power of music – even if our singing voices aren’t exactly “pleasant.” Just as you can get lost in music, you can do so in a story. Whether it is in George Orwell’s totalitarian Oceania, or Little Women’s Orchard House, the stories outlined in novels can provide an amazing look into the lives and worlds of others, and an escape from the worries and problems of those in your own.

While I am certainly not claiming to have the storytelling abilities of the Orwells or Alcotts before me, I’ve had fun trying to recreate such transformative feelings for others. When I was nine, I attempted to write a story about a little girl who had gotten lost in the woods, only managing to get a couple pages through. As I got older, whenever I was assigned a creative writing assignment in school, I wrote about the same pig, Phil. He was always angry: in my 8th grade science class, Phil was mad at some humans who had harbored his friend captive, and in my 9th grade English class, at a couple who robbed him. 

Thus, when I heard about a writing club being opened at my school in 11th grade, I knew I had to join. I wanted to discern whether writing was just a hobby I picked up now and then, or a true passion. If it was a passion, I wanted to learn as much as possible about how I could improve. Although my high school’s writing club certainly wasn’t going to transform me into Shakespeare, I knew I could learn a lot from it – and I did. The club challenged me to do many things, from writing on the spot, to writing poetry, to even writing about myself, something that’s hopefully coming in handy right now. 

From then on, I started to expand into different types of writing, storing short ideas, skits, and more in appropriately-labeled Google Drive folders. At around the same time, I became interested in classic literature, which largely stemmed from a project in English class. We had been required to choose and read a classic on our own, then present it to the class in an interesting way. While my book was certainly interesting and unique in its own right, nearly everyone else’s novels seemed more captivating to me. So, I took it upon myself to read as many classics as I could the following summer.

One of the books I read during the summer, funnily enough, was Animal Farm, which starred angry pigs, reminiscent of Phil. I had also started going over different ideas in my head, thinking about how I could translate them into words using the new skills I learned. While the writing club helped reaffirm my interest in writing and allowed me to develop new skills, my newfound affinity for classics gave me inspiration to write. Now, I am actually considering writing as part of my future. In this endeavor, I hope that Phil, and the music I inevitably listen to as I write, will accompany me every step of the way.

Admission officers might read 70 (or more!) essays in one day. It’s not uncommon for them to start to blend together and sound similar. This essay might not make you laugh out loud. But, it might make the reader chuckle while reading it thanks to the subtle humor and levity. Being able to incorporate a little humor into your essay (if it is natural for you to do… do not force it), can really be a great way to shed additional light into who you are. Remember, the essay isn’t merely about proving that you can write, but it should also reveal a little bit about your personality.

Prompt 5: “Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.”

I learned a lot of things during the summer I worked at Tropical Smoothie. I discovered the value of hard work. I figured out how to save money. I even mastered the art of the Mango Magic smoothie (the secret is lots of sugar). But most importantly, I learned the power of perspective. And I have Deja to thank for that. 

Deja was my shift supervisor, and one of Tropical Smoothie’s best employees. She was punctual, friendly, and always willing to lend a helping hand. She knew the store from top to bottom, and could handle pretty much any situation thrown her way. She made everyone around her better. On top of all that, she was four months pregnant! I was always impressed by Deja’s work ethic, but I gained an entirely new level of respect for her one day.

It was a Friday night, and Deja and I were working the closing shift together. It was very busy, and Deja and I were the only ones on shift. We managed to get by, but we were exhausted by the end of the evening. After wiping down the counters and mopping the floors, we closed up shop and went our separate ways. I was eager to get home. 

I walked a couple blocks to where I had parked my car. Well, it wasn’t my car actually. It was my dad’s ‘98 Chevy pickup truck, and it was in rough shape. It had no heat or A/C, the leather seats were cracked beyond repair, and the driver’s side door was jammed shut. I sighed as I got in through the passenger side and scooted over to the driver’s seat. The whole reason I was working at Tropical Smoothie was to save up enough money to buy my own car. I was hoping to have something more respectable to drive during my senior year of high school. 

I cranked the old thing up and started on my way home. But soon enough, I spotted Deja walking on the side of the road. There was no sidewalk here, the light was low, and she was dangerously close to the passing cars. I pulled over and offered her a ride. She got in and explained that she was on her way home. Apparently she didn’t have a car and had been walking to work every day. I couldn’t believe it. Here I was complaining about my set of wheels, while Deja didn’t have any to begin with.

We got to talking, and she confessed that she had been having a tough time. You would never know from the way she was so cheerful at work, but Deja had a lot on her plate. She was taking care of her mother, her boyfriend had just lost his job, and she was worried about making ends meet. And of course, she was expecting a baby in five months. On top of all that, she had been walking nearly a mile to and from work every day. The whole thing was a real eye opener, and made me reconsider some things in my own life. 

For one, I didn’t mind driving my dad’s truck anymore. It was banged up, sure, but it was a lot better than nothing. My mindset had changed. I appreciated the truck now. I began to think about other things differently, too. I started making mental notes of all the things in my life I was thankful for — my family, my friends, my health. I became grateful for what I had, instead of obsessing over the things I didn’t. 

I also gained more awareness of the world outside my own little bubble. My encounter with Deja had shown me first-hand that everyone is dealing with their own problems, some worse than others. So I started paying more attention to my friends, family members, and coworkers. I started listening more and asking how I could help. I also gave Deja a ride home for the rest of the summer. 

These are all small things, of course, but I think they make a difference. I realized I’m at my best when I’m not fixated on my own life, but when I’m considerate of the lives around me. I want to keep this in mind as I continue to grow and develop as a person. I want to continue to search for ways to support the people around me. And most importantly, I want to keep things in perspective.

Too often we can be focused on our own problems that we fail to realize that everyone has their own things going on in their lives, too.  This essay showcases how it’s important to put things in perspective, a skill that certainly will prove invaluable in college… and not just in the classroom.  Another reason I like this essay is because it provides deeper insight into the student’s life.  Sure, you might have mentioned in your activities list that you have a job.  But as this essay does, you can show why you have the job in the first place, what your responsibilities are, and more.

A few last tips

We hope these essay examples gave you a bit of inspiration of what to include in your own. However, before you go, we’d like to send you off with a few (personal statement) writing tips to help you make your essays as lovely as the memories and anecdotes they’re based off of. Without further ado, here are some of our best tips for writing your personal statements:

1. Open strong

College admissions officers read many, many essays (think 50+) a day, which can sometimes cause them to start blending together and sounding alike. One way to avoid your essay from simply fading into the background is to start strong. This means opening your essay with something memorable, whether an interesting personal anecdote, a descriptive setting, or anything else that you think would catch a reader’s attention (so long as it’s not inappropriate). Not only might this help college admissions officers better remember your essay, but it will also make them curious about what the rest of your essay will entail.

2. Be authentic

Perhaps most important when it comes to writing personal statement essays is to maintain your authenticity. Ultimately, your essays should reflect your unique stories and quirks that make you who you are, and should help college admissions officers determine whether you’d truly be a good fit for their school or not. So, don’t stress trying to figure out what colleges are looking for. Be yourself, and let the colleges come to you!

3. Strong writing

This one may seem a little obvious, but strong writing will certainly appeal to colleges. Not only will it make your essay more compelling, but it may show colleges that you’re ready for college-level essay writing (that you’ll likely have to do a lot of). Just remember that good writing is not limited to grammar. Using captivating detail and descriptions are a huge part of making your essay seem more like a story than a lecture.

4. Proofread

Last but not least, remember to proofread! Make sure your essay contains no errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. When you’re done proofreading your essay yourself, we would also recommend that you ask a teacher, parent, or other grammatically savvy person to proofread your essay as well.

Final thoughts 

With those in hand, we hope you now have a better sense of how to write your personal statement. While your grades and test scores are important when it comes to college admissions, it’s really your essays that can “make” or “break” your application. 

Although this may make it seem like a daunting task, writing an amazing personal statement essay is all about effort. Thus, so long as you start early, follow the advice listed above, and dedicate your time and effort to it, it’s entirely possible to write an essay that perfectly encapsulates you. Good luck, and happy writing!

Also see:  Scholarships360’s free scholarships search tool

Key Takeaways

• It may take some people longer than others to know what they want to write about, but remember that everyone, including you, has something unique to write about!
• Personal statements should be personal, which means you should avoid being too general and really strive to show off what makes you “you”
• Time and effort are two of the most important things you can put into your personal statement to ensure that it is the best representation of yourself
• Don’t forget to ask people who know you to read your work before you submit; they should be able to tell you better than anyone if you are truly shining through!

Frequently asked questions about writing personal statements 

How do you write a powerful personal statement, what makes an amazing personal statement, how do you start an amazing personal statement, scholarships360 recommended.

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The time has come to write a personal statement, but you do not know where to begin. No worries, writing about yourself is no easy task. After all, there’s only so much you can fit when writing a personal statement.

What is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a required essay done by a prospective candidate in an educational setting whether they are applying for a scholarship, graduate school admission, studying abroad, fellowship program, etc. However, it should not be confused with being the same as a statement of purpose. A statement of purpose strictly focuses on how your achievements, such as professional or academic, can benefit the program you are applying to . In contrast, a personal statement allows more creativity and freedom to develop within the applicant. Occasionally, personal statements may come with specific questions about what to write about.

Why Should They Choose You?

Although it is important to emphasize your achievements, whether it be academic or professional, the person reading your statement wants to get to know you better through your background information and what inspired you to pursue your goals. Overall, it’s important to ask yourself these questions when considering writing a personal statement:

●  What exact moment led you to be where you are today?

●  What separates you from the rest of the candidates?

●  What personal traits or qualities do you have that will help you succeed?

●  What do your story, goals, or skills obtained bring to the table?

Are You the Right Fit?

Although the focus of a personal statement is yourself, you must consider that you’re applying to a specific institution or program that offers specific opportunities. Not everyone will be the right fit and that’s okay, there are many opportunities for you to join. However, if you truly want to get in and be accepted, you must try to make a connection with your audience. Mention how the school or program will help you succeed and accomplish your goals. This goes back to what you bring to the table.

The unique trait about personal statements is that no two are alike. Everybody’s story is different. The requirements for each application vary in length, format, and topics. Nevertheless, having a concrete idea of how to organize your thoughts and ideas before you submit your final draft saves a lot of stress and time when the deadline comes. If you need an idea of where to start, brainstorm, or organize your thoughts, below is an example of a structure for your layout that may help you in getting out of that writing block:

Introduction:

-   Introduce a memory that leads back to where your interest or passion started or motivated you be where you are today

-   Give a sneak peek to your reader in a quick summary as to what you’re going to be talking about in your body paragraph (background information, accomplishments, & future aspirations from being admitted into the school or program)

*Note: Introductions should be a brief paragraph of everything you’re going to be writing about, leave the details for your body paragraphs.

A) 1 st Paragraph (Background Information)

What’s your undergraduate major/degree or other educational history?

What part of your demographic information is relevant? (hometown, heritage, family

history, etc.)

What’s an obstacle or challenge that changed the way you viewed your life?

Make sure be able make one connection to all three, it’ll make it easier for your

reader to follow through with your story and understand your goals

If deciding to write about an obstacle or challenge, remember to not solely focus on

the negative experience of it. Instead, try thinking about what you were able to take

from the experience and how did it change you as a person.

B) 2nd Paragraph (Academic and Professional Achievements)

Any organizations you’ve joined or rewards you’ve obtained? (The more you have

done, the better)

What skills have you’ve obtained through participating in any organizations, events,

jobs, etc.? C) 3 rd Paragraph (Future Goals and Accomplishments)

What is the next step after being admitted?

What do you hope to learn or take from being part of the program?

How will you apply it to your desired goal?

Conclusion:

Restate your goals in one or two sentences

Talk about what you envision for your future, what do you hope to gain from all of this?

What will you benefit from being on the program?

What do you contribute to the program?

How will you apply everything you learned?

*Note: Your concluding/closing paragraphs are usually short with a maximum of three or four sentences, leave out any details.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, there are several things to remind yourself of when writing a personal statement: focus on answering the main questions, tell your story, and use examples of any challenge or obstacle that you faced throughout your life. If you decide to focus on a challenge or obstacle, think about the tone you will use. Writing about this challenge or obstacle focuses on the learning experience or the opportunity rather than solely on the negative parts. Remember, you’ve worked hard enough to get where you are today. Hopefully, you can get started on that personal statement you’ve been procrastinating on, and good luck on whatever path you decide to pursue.

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E: [email protected] P: (915) 747-5112

Volunteer CV example

Volunteering is a great way to give back, boost your skills, meet new people and broaden your horizons.

But to land a rewarding role, you’re going to need a compelling CV.

Your volunteer CV should highlight your enthusiasm, compassionate nature and relevant skill-set, all whilst being well-presented.

To help you land those job interviews, I’ve created this step-by-step writing guide, along with an example volunteer CV.

Guide contents

• Structuring and formatting your CV
• Writing your CV profile
• Detailing work experience
• Your education
• Skills required for your volunteer CV

CV templates 

Before you begin writing your own CV , take a look at the CV example above.

It should give you a good idea of how to display your skills and experience in a professional and visually-pleasing way.

Volunteer CV structure & format

The structure and format of your CV are equally as important as what you write on it.

Charities are busy places and often have limited resources, so they won’t have much spare time to read your CV.

So, to get in their good books, you need to make it as easy for them as possible to read and navigate through your application.

Formatting Tips

• As an unwritten rule, your CV shouldn’t be longer than 2 pages of A4 . Try to keep everything as short and succinct as you can.
• It’s generally best to keep the design of your CV simple. Stick to a plain colour scheme, such as black text on a white background, and use the same font throughout.
• Avoid long paragraphs and unbroken chunks of text. Break up your information by using plenty of bullet points, lists and columns.
• Ensure your CV is easy to navigate by clearly dividing the individual CV sections – using bold text for headings is a good way to do this.
• Send your CV off as a word document, attached to an email. Paste your cover letter into the body of the email.

Structuring your CV

Organise your information into the following CV sections:

• Contact details – Always start with your basic contact details.
• Profile – A short, punchy paragraph which sums up your skills, experience and other selling points.
• Work experience / Career history – List your volunteer and work experience, starting with your most recent role.
• Education –  Note down any qualifications, whether they’re academic or vocational.
• Interest and hobbies – An optional section, which you can use to discuss hobbies that display relevant skills.

We’ll go through each of these sections in more detail, so you know exactly what you need to  include in your CV.

CV Contact Details

If a charity wants to invite you in for an interview, they’ll need an easy way to contact you.

So, always start your CV with your basic contact details:

• Phone number  – Opt for a mobile phone that you take with you on-the-go.
• Email address  – Use a professional-sounding email address, with no nicknames – make a new one if you need to.
• Location – You don’t need to include your full address – your town or city will do.

Volunteer CV Profile

Next, you need to write a short, compelling and enthusiastic CV profile .

You should think of this as an introduction, which summarises why you’d make a great volunteer for the organisation you’re applying for.

Talk about any relevant experience you have, your skills, your qualifications and/or relevant training and why you’d like to help the charity.

As charity recruiters are often short on time, this might be all they read before deciding if you’d suit the role – so you really need to grab their attention!

Tips to consider when creating your profile:

• CV profiles should be succinct, with a length of around 5-10 lines. This gives just enough detail to show your suitability, whilst leaving the reader keen to find out more about you.
• Tailor your profile to the charity and role you’re applying to. Take a look over the role description to see what skills or personal attributes the organisation are looking for. Try to include these in your profile and throughout your CV.
• I’d normally recommend leaving motives and objectives for your cover letter, but volunteer roles are an exception. In your profile, briefly mention why you’d like to work for the charity, why you care about their cause and how you think you could help.

Quick tip: A poorly written CV will fail to impress recruiters and employers. Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to create a winning CV in minutes with professional templates and pre-written content for every industry.

What to include in your volunteer CV profile?

• Experience – If you have any previous volunteering experience, make sure to mention it. You can also mention non-volunteer work experience, especially if you can draw upon transferable skills which could be a benefit to the role you’re applying for.
• Skills or knowledge  – What skills are listed in the role description? If you can match them, include them in your profile. Otherwise, do some volunteer role research and figure out what skills charities are looking for.
• Qualifications  – There are normally no entry requirements for volunteer roles, but that’s not to say they won’t play to your advantage! Mention your highest qualifications, whether that’s a degree, A-Levels or GCSEs. If you’ve completed any fundraising or charity-related courses/training, make sure to highlight them, too.
• Motives  – Charities are looking for passionate and motivated team members, so briefly mention why you care about their cause and how you could help them reach their goals.
• Achievements –  Have you raised money for a charity, volunteered in an emergency situation or helped towards fundraising initiatives? Share your best charity results, achievements and accomplishments to prove to recruiters that you’re serious about giving back.

Core skills section

To add even more impact, create a bullet-pointed list of your key skills , to sit right underneath your CV profile.

As you did with your profile, try to match the skills listed in role requirements as closely as possible.

This will help busy charity recruiters to quickly and easily see what you could bring to the team.

Quick tip: Many charities have web pages dedicated to their volunteer roles, such as this one for  shop volunteers at Cancer Research . You might be able to find additional information, including their desired volunteer skills and characteristics, to include in your profile and core skills section.

Work experience/Career history

Starting with your most recent (or current) role/volunteer role, begin listing your work experience.

If you work in paid roles alongside volunteering , you might want to split your experience section up into a ‘volunteering experience’ and a ‘career history’ section.

However, charities will be most interested in your volunteering experience, so it’s best to prioritise space for them.

Never volunteered or worked for a charity before? That’s okay – just list your other work experience, making sure to highlight any transferable skills that could benefit you in the role you’re applying for.

Structuring your roles

Your CV needs to be easy to navigate, but your work experience section can easily become overwhelming.

Start with a summary of your role, the type of organisation you worked for and who you reported to.

“Volunteering for a busy high-street charity shop, I reported to the shop manager and was responsible for processing sales and providing excellent customer care to customers.”

Key responsibilities

Next, create a bullet-pointed list of your day-to-day duties and responsibilities.

• Ensuring the shop floor was kept in immaculate condition.
• Manning the till and processing cash and card transactions.
• Setting up seasonal window and promotional displays to maximise sales.

Key achievements

Round up the role description by sharing 1-3 stand out results, accomplishments or achievements .

• Organised a local charity event single-handedly, which raised over £5,000.
• Exceeded sales targets for 6-months running.
• Regularly volunteered to carry out street fundraising, which raised an average of £3,000 per month.

Next up is your education section. It’s here that you’ll discuss your qualifications and any relevant training or courses you’ve completed.

Don’t worry if you don’t have many qualifications. There’s no barrier to entry for volunteer roles – it’s the mindset that matters!

Just list your highest qualifications, along with the dates of study – for example, ‘ 10 GCSEs A-D’.

If have any vocational qualifications, such as First Aid training , make sure to include them, too.

Quick tip: If you’re volunteering for a skill-specific role as a graduate or professional, include your sector-specific qualifications here. For example, if you’re a marketing graduate volunteering to run a charity’s social media accounts, list your degree and discuss your social media module in detail.

Interests and hobbies

This CV section is completely optional, but it can be handy for volunteer roles.

If you have any interests or hobbies which are related to the role you’re applying for, then it’s well worth discussing them. For example, if you’re applying to volunteer at an animal shelter and have a blog about animals, it makes sense to note this on your CV, as it shows your passion for the sector.

Additionally, if you’re part of a sports team, play a musical instrument, are learning a language or have another creative pursuit, adding your hobby to your CV will show charities that you’re a committed, dedicated and driven individual.

However, generic hobbies like  ‘listening to music’  or  ‘going out with friends’ don’t say anything about you and should be left off your CV.

Essential skills and characteristics for your volunteer CV

As volunteer roles vary so widely, so do the skills that are required for the role. However, the following soft skills and characteristics a must for any charity CV:

Passion for the cause – Supporting the charity in question and having a clear passion for the cause.

Good communication  – Communicating with colleagues, customers and those needing support in a friendly, calm, reassuring and empathetic manner.

Teamwork  – Working well as part of a team.

Empathy  – Showing empathy, patience, consideration and a caring nature.

Fundraising  – Contributing to or building upon fundraising initiatives and strategies.

Writing your volunteer CV

Charities are always looking for passionate, kind-natured and driven individuals to volunteer to help their mission.

If you follow my CV guide, you’ll be able to create a CV that proves you have all these qualities and more.

Make sure to double-check your spelling and grammar before sending off your application.

Best of luck with your job search!