If you are using your volunteer role to build your resume or your application for post-secondary education, here’s some helpful information about getting a reference for work or school. We also cover some tips on using your volunteer role as a stepping stone to employment with the organization or another non-profit.

Hoping to get a reference for work or school?

• Make sure you attend every shift and that your direct supervisor knows who you are and gets to know you. Be friendly and ask questions.

• Make your supervisor aware that you are interested in a reference, so ask them whether they can provide it and under what circumstances.

• Ask if they can give you a reference letter or their email and phone number for a phone or email reference.

• Don’t wait too long to ask for the reference, especially if you are leaving the role to go back to school. The organization may be dealing with hundreds of volunteers and the longer you wait, the harder it will be to get that reference, especially with staff turnover.

• Consider connecting with the staff supervisor on LinkedIn so that you can easily find them if you need a reference in the future (set up your own LinkedIn account first!)

From Volunteering to Employment

Perhaps you have such a positive experience volunteering that you are considering applying for a paid position with the organization, over the summer or after you graduate from college or university. If that’s the case, as a volunteer with a great track record, you will definitely have a leg up over the competition that has no prior experience with the organization. Quite often, employers would rather hire a “known quantity” over someone who has no history with them. But, keep in mind that volunteering is no guarantee or promise of employment.

Here are some tips to use your volunteer experience as a stepping stone to employment:

• Talk to your supervisor about potential job opportunities with the organization - but wait until you’ve been volunteering with them for a few months at least.

• Many non-profit organizations apply for Canada Summer Student grants so that they can hire students over the summer. Check out the Job Bank for summer or year-round employment opportunities for youth.

• If no job opportunities are available, consider talking to your supervisor about increasing your level of responsibility or leadership as a volunteer so that you continue building your resume.

• Make sure to include your volunteer experience in your resume and LinkedIn profile.

• Highlight your volunteer experience in your cover letter and explain what you learned or gained from it.

• Send LinkedIn connection requests to staff that you meet while volunteering

• If your volunteer experience is a few years in the past, ask for an informational interview with Human Resources or with a staff member who is doing the kind of work you hope to do and let them know that you are a former volunteer.

Even if you aren’t interested in working for the organization where you have volunteered, your experience will still be valuable in your job search. Volunteering demonstrates to potential employers that you take initiative and show dedication to your work!

Good luck on your volunteer journey! We hope that this is a journey you keep coming back to throughout your life!