Latest / The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry / How a Career Gap Can Help You Build a Volunteer Resume
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot on this show about how to bridge a career gap — certificates, freelancing, informational interviews. But there's one path I think we've undersold, and it's sitting right there in plain sight. Luna: Let me guess — volunteering? Lucas: Exactly. And I want to be specific, not just 'go volunteer.' I want to talk about how you turn a volunteer stint into a resume bullet point that a hiring manager actually takes seriously. Luna: There's a huge difference between stuffing envelopes twice a year and running a social media calendar for a local nonprofit. Lucas: Right. So let's anchor on a real person. Maria Santos — former marketing manager at a mid-sized consumer goods company. She stepped away for three years after her second child. When she was ready to return, she had a three-year hole and zero confidence that her old skills were still relevant. Luna: Classic. The skills don't disappear, but the résumé looks stale. Lucas: Exactly. So Maria didn't just update her LinkedIn and start applying. She reached out to a local food bank — one she'd donated to — and offered to run their Instagram and Facebook pages. No pay, but she treated it as a job: set weekly hours, tracked metrics, even asked for a reference. Luna: And what kind of results did she get? Lucas: Over six months, she grew their Instagram following from 1,200 to 4,800. She increased donation-linked clicks by 40 percent. She built a simple content calendar and repurposed photos from their food drives. She also learned Canva and some basic video editing — skills she didn't have before. Luna: So now she's got concrete numbers. That changes the conversation from 'I took time off' to 'I delivered measurable impact.' Lucas: That's exactly the framing. And it worked. That volunteer role turned into a paid part-time gig at the same food bank — they had a grant for a community engagement coordinator. Then from there she got a full-time digital marketing role at a mid-sized agency that works with nonprofits. Luna: So the volunteer role was a stepping stone, not just a placeholder. And I think a lot of people worry that volunteering signals 'I couldn't get a real job,' but the data says otherwise. Lucas: Right. There's a 2025 LinkedIn survey — I want to get this number right — that found 67 percent of hiring managers consider volunteer experience equally valid as paid work when evaluating candidates with career gaps. That's two out of three. Luna: But I think there's a trap here. If you just say 'I volunteered at the animal shelter' without showing any results, it's the same as listing a job with no accomplishments. Lucas: Totally. And that's where the strategy comes in. You have to treat the volunteer role like a job — set goals, track metrics, and get a LinkedIn recommendation from the executive director. Luna: Which also gives you a fresh reference who can speak to your current skills, not your pre-gap abilities. Lucas: Exactly. And there's a growing ecosystem around this. Platforms like Catchafire and Taproot connect skilled professionals to nonprofits for short-term, project-based work — designing a brochure, building a website, running a fundraising campaign. These are not indefinite commitments. Luna: So you can pick something that aligns with your target role. If you want to get into project management, volunteer to coordinate an event. If you want to do data analysis, help a nonprofit clean up their donor database. Lucas: That's the strategic part. And honestly, if this episode helped you think about your own gap differently, that's exactly the kind of thing that makes this show worth doing. Luna: Yeah, and it's listener support that keeps us ad-free and focused on practical advice like this. Lucas: So if today's conversation was worth a coffee to you, that's the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, just a way to say this stuff matters. Luna: And it really does help us keep going. Alright, back to the strategy — because I want to push on something. Lucas: Go ahead. Luna: There's this idea that any volunteering is good. But I think picking the wrong kind can actually hurt you. If you're a former finance professional and you spend two years walking dogs without any finance-related tasks, that doesn't move the needle. Lucas: That's a fair point. The key is to find a role where you can exercise transferable skills. The animal shelter might need a treasurer. The food bank might need someone to analyze their supply chain. You have to look for the skill-based opportunities. Luna: And if the organization is small, you can often create the role yourself. That's what Maria did — she pitched the social media idea to the food bank. They didn't have anyone doing it. Lucas: Which also shows initiative. Hiring managers love that. So let's talk about how you actually frame this on a resume. You don't want to put 'Volunteer, 2024-2025' in a separate section at the bottom. You want to integrate it into your experience section, just like a job. Luna: And use the same language — action verbs, numbers, outcomes. 'Managed social media strategy for local nonprofit, growing engagement by 40 percent and increasing donation-driven website traffic by 25 percent.' Lucas: Exactly. You can even list it under a heading like 'Professional Experience' and include both paid and unpaid roles. Just be transparent about the context. And if you get a reference from the nonprofit, that's gold. Luna: One other thing — volunteering can also help you test-drive a new industry. If you're a former teacher thinking about event planning, volunteer for a conference or a festival. You get real experience without committing to a full career change. Lucas: That's a great point. And the time commitment is flexible. You can start with five hours a week and scale up. It's low risk, high potential upside. Luna: So for anyone listening who's been out of work for a year or more and feels stuck, this is a concrete next step. Pick one skill you want to rebuild, find a nonprofit that needs it, and offer to help for three months. Lucas: And track everything. Keep a simple spreadsheet — hours, tasks, outcomes, feedback. That becomes the raw material for your resume and your interview stories. Because the gap doesn't have to be a blank space. It can be a launching pad. Luna: I think that's the real takeaway. The gap isn't a void — it's a story you get to write. And volunteering is one of the most effective ways to write that story with evidence. Lucas: Well said. Thanks, Luna. And thanks to everyone listening. We'll be back next week with another episode of The Comeback Career. Luna: See you then.