How to make your volunteer experience help you shine online for future opportunities.[/caption]Creating a successful college resume is imperative for your future. Colleges and universities can learn a lot about applicants by how they spend their personal time.

Having done valuable volunteer work during your high school years is a huge plus. We reached out to people who work with college-bound teens for some of their best advice on college resumes and how to make the most of your volunteer experiences. Here are 7 expert tips for including volunteer activities on your college resume

1. Choose volunteer opportunities out of genuine interest

Colleges evaluate leadership potential through how volunteering is expanding your perspective.” —Sam Fankuchen

“Pick an opportunity out of genuine interest, one you know you'll enjoy at face value, and that can expose you to new things. That way, your passion will lead you to appreciate related socio-economic themes, meet new people, experience how your contributions improve others, and to integrate these experiences into your lifestyle. More than accumulating hours, college admissions officers evaluate leadership potential through how volunteering is expanding your perspective and how you're improving the world you encounter.”

—Sam Fankuchen at Golden

2. Add volunteer experience on your college resume like you would a job

When speaking of volunteer opportunities on your resume, don’t treat them any differently than a job” —Charlie Taibi

“Many teens are unsure how to build volunteer experience and if they should include it on their resume. For the short-term—college resumes—and well into their professional career, the answer is ‘yes.’ A recent LinkedIn survey found that 41% of employers viewed volunteer work equally important as paid work. Two of my favorite tips include:

1. Finding the ‘best’ volunteer experiences can’t be done by picking a specific organization, but instead by researching and choosing an opportunity that allows students to showcase their talent and contribute to a cause that correlates with their passion and career goals. For example, if a student is interested in the United Nation’s World Food Programme, showing some dedication to your local food bank could prove extremely valuable.
2. When you speak of your opportunities on your college resume, don’t treat them any differently than a job you’ve held. Use active verbs and specify your contributions.”

—Charlie Taibi at UnCollege and star of ABC Family’s Startup U

3. Highlight how your experience has helped the community

Don’t say, ‘I built houses.’ Instead say, ‘I helped put roofs over the heads of families in need.’ —Monica Eaton-Cardone

“Focus on the effect your work has had on real people and communities. If you spent your summer building homes with Habitat for Humanity, don’t simply say “I built houses.” Instead, characterize your work more along the lines of, “I helped to put roofs over the heads of 10 different families in need.”

—Monica Eaton-Cardone at Chargebacks911

4. Ask for recommendations

Get recommendations when you are still fresh on supervisors’ minds. —Renee Rashid

“Getting volunteer activities on your college resume is a smart move—colleges are putting more importance on service activities than ever. Here are a few tips to help you select the right volunteering opportunity for you:

1. Find something related to what you're interested in at school or thinking about as a career. Interested in becoming a doctor or nurse?  Volunteer at a hospital, clinic, or senior center. The arts? Volunteer at a museum or teach art/music at the YMCA or senior centers. There is always something related to your interest that will make the experience more meaningful and give you insight into possible careers.
2. If you can, start volunteering in 9th or 10th grade. If you suddenly show interest only in 11th or 12th grade, colleges might suspect you're only doing activities to pad your college resume.
3. If you've done a great job, ask for recommendations from supervisors! You never know when you might need a great recommendation—for another volunteer position, job, or college application. So have them write it when you are still fresh in their mind, and email it to you. Later, if you need the recommendation sent directly to the college, you can remind them what they wrote and ask them to mail it.
4. We have over 60,000 volunteer opportunities that students can search on Blayz, so students should definitely be able to find something perfect for their needs.”

—Renee Rashid at Blayz

5. Think of your college resume as a story

Instead of volunteering at the best-known organizations, find where you can make a difference. —Heun Wong

“The best type of volunteer opportunities are those that allow you to make an impact. Top colleges care about dedication, passion, and leadership, not how many activities you can juggle nor which big names you can list. Instead of volunteering at a hundred different places or the best-known organizations, find a place where you can make a significant difference. If you're interested in health care, think about working with a small nursing home rather than a large hospital (where you might likely be stuck filing papers or making data entries). Go above and beyond what is asked of you. For example, don't just run errands. Take notes and go to your supervisor withideas (to make the residents more comfortable, sociable, or happy). This works to your advantage in two ways:

1. You will develop a strong relationship with the patients, practitioners, and administration.
 
2. People will strongly advocate for your skills and commitment because they remember you. Think of your college resume as a story rather than a list and  pursue volunteer activities that actually reflect your interests.”

—Heun Wong at Crimson Scholars

6. Don't be afraid to get creative

Don’t be afraid of proposing a volunteer activity that doesn’t already exist. Be creative. —Jennifer Aquino

“Think outside of the box, and don’t be afraid of proposing something that doesn’t already exist—be creative and tell them what you can do! For instance, I just spoke to one student in Madrid this morning who loves writing and found he really enjoys kids. He's calling up organizations in his neighborhood that might need a writing tutor for their kids and to propose giving a weekly after-school class to kids about writing stories.”—Jennifer Aquino at Atelier Education

7. Use volunteer experience in your personal essay

Consider using a meaningful volunteer experience in your personal essay. —Jolyn Brand

“If putting in a substantial number of community service hours sounds overwhelming, I like to relay this case study from one of my clients. Thomas is a senior who didn't have a lot of extra time on his hands between AP classes and sports. He's pre-law and loves history, so I scheduled him with a local nursing home that was looking for a visitor for one of the elderly gentlemen with no family, Mr. Ross. Thomas committed to one Saturday a month for three to four hours to sit with Mr. Ross; they played card games or checkers, talked about wars and Thomas even showed him how to use a computer and a Wii. Eventually Thomas began visiting twice a month for five hours. He introduced Mr. Ross to YouTube. Mr. Ross gave personal accounts of war experiences when Thomas was learning about it in school. This year, Thomas accrued over 200 hours of volunteering with Mr. Ross. This experience helped them both, but especially helped Thomas grow as a person and appreciate life. Imagine the application and personal essay that he was able to write about these experiences!”
—Jolyn Brand at Brand College Consulting