Ensure your CV layout is structured to best highlight your unique experience and life situation.

Volunteer CV Template (Text Format)

PERSONAL STATEMENT

Empathetic and dedicated professional with comprehensive experience volunteering at various facilities hosting animals and administering pet adoption. Demonstrated ability to calm, feed, groom, and walk animals; clean living areas; and maintain documentation. Adept at training and supervising teams, coordinating awareness programmes, and educating pet owners. Established communicator with the ability to foster strong relationships at all levels of animal care agencies.

WORK EXPERIENCE

RSPCA, Bangor
Volunteer Coordinator, December 2019–Present

  • Assess animals for illness/injury and report symptoms to the supervisor
  • Perform volunteer activities as per regulations determined by the Royal Society (RSPCA) for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
  • Create documents and profiles of over 200 animals for potential adopters
  • Assist the public in claiming lost animals and providing further care
  • Coordinate training programmes for all volunteers to develop knowledge regarding animal care and management
  • Design manuals with necessary information for both foster and permanent pet owners

RSPCA, Bangor
Volunteer, June 2017–November 2019

  • Managed the front desk and supported staff by filing and organising animal records as well as answering phone calls
  • Delivered exceptional customer service by efficiently answering inquiries
  • Maintained inventory of animals’ food, water, and linens
  • Provided compassion and care to animals while adhering to RSPCA’s policies for rescuing animals
  • Established and maintained professional relationships with multiple rescue and foster agencies

Do IT, Caernarfon
Animal Care Volunteer, May 2015 – May 2017

  • Delivered effective training on resolving animal behaviour issues to pet owners
  • Managed documentation for releasing shelter animals for adoption
  • Observed animals regularly to assess illness and injuries
  • Groomed up to 15 dogs and 20 cats daily

EDUCATION

University of Leeds (2013–2017)
BA in Pre-Veterinary Science – Upper Second-Class Honours (2:1)

Brightside Upper School, Sheffield (2006–2013)
A-Levels: Maths (A), Animal Science (A), English Literature (A)
GCSEs: 10 A-C including Maths, English, Combined Science, and Geography

KEY SKILLS

  • Deep knowledge of animal behaviour
  • Skilled in handling animals with care
  • Ability to interact calmly with animals
  • Proficient in determining incoming animals’ physical condition
  • Expert at assessing animals’ breed and age

HOBBIES & INTERESTS

  • Avid cyclist, regularly participating in Welsh races
  • Amateur viola player
  • Talented gardener

18 skills to list on your volunteer CV

Before you begin writing, make sure you know how to write a CV in a way that best emphasises your strengths.

A volunteer typically spends their time performing various duties, such as cleaning or organising a facility, greeting guests, or providing assistance to those in need. They may also be responsible for providing information about the organisation or event they’re volunteering for.

Volunteers do many types of work, depending on their skills and interests. They may help with fundraising, marketing, event planning, or administrative tasks. Also, volunteers often do hands-on work, such as serving meals or cleaning up after events.

When you apply for a volunteer job, you should include both hard skills (learned, technical abilities) and soft skills (personality-related traits) to show recruiters you can handle technical tasks and interact well with others.

Put focus on your skills by formatting your CV on a simple CV template that doesn’t distract with flashy graphic elements.

Below is a list of skills that commonly appear on volunteer CVs. Pick the ones you have (but only if they’re relevant to the volunteer role you’re targeting) to describe in detail when you make a CV for voluntary work:

 

  • Interpersonal skills
  • Communication skills
  • Ability to work independently
  • Flexibility and adaptability
  • Commitment to the organisation’s mission
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Willingness to learn new things
  • Organisational skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Time management skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Patience
  • Creativity
  • Resourcefulness
  • Basic IT skills
  • Self-awareness
  • Teamwork
  • Cultural competency

 

Continue highlighting your skills in a volunteer cover letter that gives more context to the information on your CV. Use a cover letter builder to ensure your letter is professional and error-free.


Aaron Case
Written by

Aaron Case

Aaron Case is a CPRW & Senior CV Expert at CV Genius with 8+ years of experience in writing and career resource spaces. Job seekers around the world and in various stages of their vocational journeys have landed fulfilling work thanks to his thoughtful career advice, which has also been showcased in publications like Forbes, MSN, CareerAddict, Ladders, Best Colleges, Ivy Exec, Capitalism.com, and vidIQ. Aaron has a BS in English & Communications from Liberty University bolstered by a professional credential from UC Berkeley. He’s collected practical experience while following various career paths, and he enjoys sharing the resulting insights with everyone. You can contact him through his LinkedIn profile or on Twitter. Please note, we don’t accept guest posts, and all such requests will be ignored.