Writing a CV for charity jobs

Working within the not-for-profit or charity sector can make for a very rewarding career. Knowing that you are a part of something that does more than fill the boots of shareholders and can contribute to making the world a better place is a powerful pull. However, when writing a CV for charity jobs, it is worth remembering that first and foremost you are there to do a specific role.

Focus on the role not the sector

When applying for any charity job, read the person specification for the role you are applying for. This tells you what skills and experience are required, and this is what you should focus on. You may have laudable intentions and a motivation to do good, however you have to be able to perform well in a specific job and your charity CV needs to demonstrate this.

Tailor your skills and experience

If you have direct and relevant experience – even from a different sector – then describe not just the responsibilities and duties but your achievements. Focus on the outcomes and support this with facts and figures to give a sense of concreteness to your accomplishments. If you do not have relevant experience show how your skills are transferable and align these to your target jobs.

Include voluntary work in your charity job CV

Any voluntary work you have done should be included when writing a CV for charity jobs. Voluntary work demonstrates a commitment to freely giving your time for worthy causes. Again, focus on the impact. For instance, if you been a fundraiser, how much did you help to raise? What kind of innovative campaigns did you initiate or contribute towards? Be specific and give the results.

Make sure your CV is accessible

This is particularly relevant if applying for a charity providing services for people with disabilities. In any case, you should always ensure that the typeface is modern and clean. The point size should be large enough to read easily – at least 11 point. Do not use a CV template with different colours that do not contrast. Ideally, stick to black writing on a white background.

Keep your CV short

Your charity CV does not need to be any longer than 2 pages. As less than 30 seconds is spent on average reading a CV there is little point including lots of detail. It is unlikely to get read. Keep the CV to two pages with a word count of around 750.

This article is written by Neville Rose, Director of CV Writers. Please do connect with me via LinkedIn.

Check out our CV writing service with details of our packages that include LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and more. You can get things started with a Free CV review. I am also a qualified career counsellor and provide Career Counselling services for people looking to change career paths.