Whether you’re creating a resume or deciding what to put on a college application, it’s never a bad idea to amplify your information and desirable attributes to impress prospective schools or employers. The most impressive information is obviously academic, but there are many other things you can add that will catch your audience’s eye. Extracurricular activities, experience, and design are other great additions to your resume or application to grab attention. One addition that is sure to grab their attention, invite questions, and impress your readers is any type of community involvement. Giving back to your community is so important because it shows leadership skills, initiative, a moral compass, and your desire to be a positive and active member of your community.

Start a Program

So you realize how important giving back to your community is on an application and you’d like to start helping out, how do you start? The possibilities are truly endless. One way to give back to your community is to start your own program. This enables you to make changes that you are passionate about and show immense leadership skills on your resume. It’s much more difficult and impressive to start your own community program than it is to join one that is already established. Decide on what group or cause you’d like to help out with and start there. Get organized and stick to a schedule in order to get the most out of your program. Recruit help or do it on your own, but remember that it isn’t only about resume building. Your community really does benefit greatly from volunteers. Some ideas for your own program are:

• Create small care packages for the homeless and deliver them every Saturday
• Start a food collection in your neighborhood for your local shelter
• Make homemade dog treats for your local animal shelter
• Start a fundraiser for a non-profit in your community

Volunteer

Volunteering your time is another great way to help out your community. Voluntary community service is one of the top activities that colleges seek from applicants and is a positive addition to any resume. Volunteer work shows that you are dedicated and willing to spend your time helping out your community. Donating is also a great help to your community, but the time it takes to volunteer is the eye catcher for prospective employers. The key to utilizing your volunteering experience is to keep your commitment regular whether it be something you do every week, month, or year. The idea is to show your prospective employers or universities that you are dedicated, motivated, and willing to make a commitment to the program you’re volunteering for. Some volunteer considerations include:

• Cleaning kennels at your local animal shelter
• Organizing donations at a homeless shelter
• Help to plant trees in your neighborhood
• Volunteer to read or play board games with the elderly

Clean up

Community involvement comes in many forms and helping to clean up your community is yet another great way to aid in helping your community. Going green and being environmentally conscience is an important notion for many businesses and universities and getting involved in this effort is a great way to help your community and your resume. Creating change is something that is taken very seriously on your resume. Whether you decide to go by yourself and clean up trash on the side of the road on Sundays, join an organized cleanup crew, volunteer with a recycling program, or start your own green transportation program, you’ll be making a lot of change in your community by being environmentally conscience which is probably something your prospective employer or university is already concerned with.

Get Involved

Becoming a legitimate member of a community organization is a great way to help your community, be a bigger part of your community, and amp up your resume at the same time. Getting involved takes volunteering a step further by taking a bigger role in your town’s nonprofits or volunteer organizations in your community. See what you can do to become a regular member in the organization that you are passionate about. Speak with local shelters and organizations, contact non-profits, and chat with other community members about how you can get involved in a bigger way. Help your church, research which organizations interest you, or put your involvement on the top of your priority list and the organizations in your community will love your motivation. Not only will this be a great addition to your applications, but your involvement will really make a difference.

When filling out resumes or applications it’s easy to get flooded with concerns over aspects like education, work experience, and leaderships skills. Making a resume can be stressful and daunting for some, so the addition of community involvement is the perfect cushion for those worried about their experience or involvement. Many employers and universities agree that volunteerism and community involvement is a great thing to see when screening applicants. It shows initiative, leadership, motivation, and a desire to help those around you. So help yourself as well as well as your city by getting involved and being a helpful part of your community.

Take Action!
If you’re looking for Non-Profit Fundraising Ideas that have HIGH PROFIT and LOW RISK then you need to read this post specifically written for Non-Profits trying to raise money!

 

 

Author bio: Chelsy Ranard is a writer from Montana who is now living in Boise, Idaho. She graduated with her journalism degree from the University of Montana in 2012. She is passionate about helping others, loves talk radio, and spends her Friday mornings volunteering with Simply Cats in Boise.

 

 

 

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Email:  General Information   |   Dr. Daniel de Roulet   |   Prof. David C. Pecoraro

Thank you!

Daniel & David

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August 1, 2018

Add to Your Resume or College Application While Giving Back to Your Community