Does Library Volunteer Work Act as Job Experience?
In 2009, "U.S. News & World Report" ranked librarian one of the best careers in the United States. But even if you don't plan to pursue a library science career, you can gain transferable skills as a library volunteer. Volunteering at your local library acts as job experience, but you must select the skills appropriate to the job and choose a fitting location on your resume to explain your experience. You can choose from several locations to place these skills, depending on your job history and related experience.
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Customer Service Skills
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Most employers favor a solid understanding of the customer service process and the ability to execute the knowledge consistently. Customer service is one of the basic skills required when volunteering at a library. Assisting patrons with locating media, answering telephones, providing reliable information and assisting with library services establishes good customer relations skills. This experience works well in the "Experience" section of a resume with highlights offered in the cover letter. For example, you can list the library as a traditional position and offer brief sentences that inform the reader of your customer interactions. You can also provide one or two sentences in your cover letter that introduce your customer service skills.
Community Service
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Many libraries design volunteer programs to provide community outreach. For example, the Los Angeles Public Library offers opportunities in literacy, book delivery and reading events. If you have similar experience, you can use it to highlight your community outreach efforts and elaborate on your social skills. You can place community service experience in a "Volunteer Work" section of the resume and add a brief sentence to your cover letter that illustrates your dedication to your community.
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Technology and Training
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Libraries offer free or low-cost technology and literacy programs to the public. Volunteers teach adults basic, intermediate and advanced computer skills. Library volunteers also provide assistance with scheduling, advertising and teaching literacy skills to adults and children. You can tailor these experiences in a task-related method to address job requirements. For example, training experience illustrates communication, presentation and public speaking skills. Experience in these areas works well for the "Achievements" if you helped patrons achieve certification or another milestone. It can also go in the "Experience" section listed as the tasks you completed.
Additional Options
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The best way to decide what to include is to think about what you learned, achieved and performed during your time volunteering. If you don't have job experience, you can create a basic resume using your volunteer history. You can include tasks you performed in the "Experience" section, listed as a regular professional position. Volunteering illustrates character and commitment, and you can elaborate on these traits during an interview or in your cover letter. Treating your volunteer experience as "real" work experience helps you to express your qualifications to potential employers in writing and in person.
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