Your career résumé tells people what you’ve accomplished. Your service résumé tells them what you’ve done with it.
Most of us spend decades building a résumé.
We add the promotions, accomplishments, companies we’ve built, teams we’ve led, awards we’ve earned, and expertise we’ve developed along the way.
I’ve certainly been proud of professional accomplishments in my own life. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself thinking about a different kind of résumé.
One that will never be submitted for a job.
My service résumé.
Who have I helped?
Who have I mentored?
What organizations are stronger because I showed up? Where have I used my experience to open a door for someone else?
Those questions have become much more meaningful to me.
What Would Be on Your Service Résumé?
Imagine for a moment that you had to create one.
Instead of listing job titles, you’d list the causes you’ve supported.
Instead of professional accomplishments, you’d include the people you’ve mentored.
Instead of revenue generated, you’d talk about lives touched.
Your service résumé might include:
- The nonprofit board where you shared your leadership experience.
- The young person you mentored through an important transition.
- The organization you helped solve a marketing, financial, or strategic challenge.
- The community project where you simply rolled up your sleeves and helped.
- The introduction you made that opened an unexpected door.
- The cause you championed because you believed its story deserved to be heard.
And here’s the great thing about a service résumé:
You don’t need a certain title, income, or stage of life to start building one.
Your Professional Experience Has Another Life
One of the ideas we’re passionate about at Success with Purpose is skills-based volunteering.
After years in business, it’s easy to take what we know for granted.
If you’ve spent 20 years in finance, budgeting may seem routine to you. To a growing nonprofit, that knowledge can be transformational.
If you’re a marketer, storyteller, attorney, HR professional, technology leader, salesperson, strategist, or entrepreneur, there is probably an organization in our community that could benefit from what comes naturally to you.
Your professional résumé doesn’t have to stop creating value when the workday ends.
The same experience that built your career can help build your community.
Service Changes Us, Too
There’s another side to the service résumé that we don’t talk about enough.
Giving doesn’t just change the recipient. It changes the giver.
I’ve watched people become involved with an organization thinking they were there to help—and walk away realizing how much they received in return.
They’ve made friendships.
They’ve gained perspective.
They’ve rediscovered talents they hadn’t used in years.
They’ve found a sense of purpose they didn’t realize was missing.
And sometimes, they’ve simply been reminded that they still have an enormous amount to contribute.
That’s one reason I believe philanthropy needs a broader definition.
It isn’t only about what we give financially.
It’s about giving ourselves.
Don’t Wait Until “Someday”
There’s a phrase I hear frequently:
“When I have more time, I’d like to get involved.”
The problem is that “more time” has a way of never appearing.
Building a service résumé doesn’t require completely rearranging your life. It can begin with one conversation, one introduction, one hour of mentoring, one committee meeting, or one nonprofit that needs exactly the skill you already possess.
Start small.
But start.
Because those small acts accumulate.
And over a lifetime, they tell quite a story.
Which Résumé Will Matter Most?
Your professional résumé represents an important part of your life. Be proud of it.
But someday, very few people will care about every title we held or every professional milestone we achieved.
They may remember something else.
He believed in me.
She made the introduction that changed everything.
They showed up when our organization needed help.
He shared what he knew without asking for anything in return.
She made our community better.
That’s a résumé worth building.
At Success with Purpose, our belief is simple: Philanthropy is for All of Us. We all have something to contribute—our time, talents, leadership, relationships, experience, or resources.
So, here’s my challenge to you.
Take out a blank piece of paper and write two words across the top:
My Service Résumé
What would be on it today?
More importantly:
What would you like to add to it next?
Your career résumé tells the story of what you’ve achieved.
Your service résumé tells the story of what your achievements allowed you to do for others.
And in the end, that may be the most valuable résumé you’ll ever build.
— Richard Ward
Founder, Success with Purpose
