Are you lacking quality volunteer experience on your resume?

Maybe you’re having trouble deciding on a volunteer organization that will look good on your resume?

Fire Departments seek candidates who are actively volunteering because it shows that the candidate is giving back to the community.

It’s important you’re resume is well rounded and that you’re not lacking the volunteer experience.

That’s why I’ve listed below 5 volunteer opportunities that will help solidify your resume.

So let’s begin.

1. Be a Big Brother/Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada

Let me start off by saying that this first volunteer opportunity is of a serious commitment and should not be taken lightly.

I highly suggest giving it some good thought before committing to being a Big Brother.

With that being said, being a Big Brother is a great opportunity not only for the resume, but for life experience.

I know first hand how great of a program this is because of my brother (my actual brother) is a Big Brother and he loves it. He has personally grown a lot from it and loves every minute of it. Firefighter Jobs Canada

How it looks on the resume:

It will show fire departments that you’re able to be a positive role model in your community, dedicated to help others with your own free time, and are able to be a good mentor.

2. Medical First Responder

Need medical experience? Look no further.

St. John Ambulance is a great organization for poeple who want to be part of a medical environment.

As a Medical First Responder (MFR), you’ll be attending weekly meetings with your local branch which will consist of medical training and local event discussions. You’ll also be attending events in your community as a medical first responder.

I personally volunteered here for 4 years and had some great training and real medical experience during community events. I also was able to get my Advanced Medical First Responder (AMFR) certification for free (after putting in a certain amount of volunteer hours).

How it looks on the resume:

It will show fire departments that you have medical experience and are attending weekly training sessions to sharpen your medical skills.

There’s also several different positions within St. John Ambulance you can apply for such as the “Duty Officer” position, which is essentialy a position that leads the team of MFRs at local events (adding leadership skills to your resume).

3. Coach A Sports Team

Like playing sports? Why not coach a team?

It’s a serious time commitment, but if you love playing a certain sport than why not coach?

How it looks on the resume:

It will show that you are able to lead and direct a group of people to accomplish a task.

Also, if you’re coaching kids, it shows you’re a good influence to children and are comfortable being around them.

Lastly, recruiters will see you enjoy sports which translates to you being active and able to work as a team member.

To find opportunities simply do a quick google search for positions in your community.

4. Municipal Volunteer Position

If you live in a community that has a decent sized population, than there’s a good chance your city employs volunteers.

For example, in my hometown they have volunteer positions that respresent the city as a Festival & Events Organizer. With this role you’re constantly injected into the community, making connections and building your network (which is always an added bonus).

Aside from the resume portion, here’s why a role like this can be of benefit to you:

First off, if there’s ever any opportunity to be a municipal employee with a city that you want to work for as a firefighter, JUMP ON IT.

Having an employee number with the city is a game changer. It allows you to apply to municipal jobs as an internal employee.

5. Volunteer Crisis Hotline Responder

As a Crisis Responder, you’ll be offering crisis, emotional support, and suicide prevention support to people who call in to the Distress Center.

Many municipalities offer these types of services so it’s best to do a quick google search for more information. Firefighter Recruitment

This role is also another serious commitment as most services require at least one shift per week.

How it looks on the resume:

Departments will see that you’re capable of offering emotional support to people in need. With mental health awareness growing rapidly in the fire service, this type of role shows departments you will fit right in with their vision.