You may have noticed on Facebook, Twitter or in conversations that many people are participating in an informal thankfulness movement this year, recognizing something that they are thankful for each day in November. Perhaps you are even participating. While I am late to the game, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading lists from friends and family members. Now, I can probably guess what you’re thinking, but don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you by recapping 20 days worth of things I am thankful for. This week, I want to share a short list of the top three pieces of advice (in no particular order) I am thankful I received when preparing for and starting my career. Please feel free to add your own advice, or advice you are thankful you received, in the comments section below. Happy Thanksgiving!

Being prepared shows that you are respectful of other people’s time

If you are granted an informational interview or are meeting with a busy contact, show your appreciation by being organized and honoring time commitments. If you are scheduled to meet someone at his or her office, arriving 10 minutes early is typically acceptable, but be sure to use this time wisely. This is your last chance before the meeting to make sure any documents are in order and easy to find and that you have business cards or anything else you need handy to make the meeting run smoothly. Even if the meeting is at your own office, be sure to set aside a few moments before to prepare. Write down or type up questions before the meeting to stay on track and prioritize how you want to use the time. If you notice the allotted time running out during the meeting, jot down any follow-up questions to be asked later. If time is a concern to you or the person you are meeting with, be very explicit about the amount of time you are hoping for and stick to that plan.

Be open and honest about your project commitments

If you know me, you know I love to be busy and am happiest in a very fast-paced environment. However, if you have a similar tendency, it’s important to remember not to take on more than you can realistically handle. As you’ve probably already heard, the only thing worse than saying you can’t take on a project is promising you can and then not delivering, leaving the rest of your team scrambling to come up with Plan B. If the project is something you are very interested in taking on, discuss your schedule and your zest for the project with the leads on the new project and your current projects. You might be pleasantly surprised to find some flexibility that will allow you take on both or tag team the project with another coworker. If there is no way to take on both projects, your team will at least know that you are interested in that particular type of work and keep you in mind the next time a similar project comes up.

Get involved in your community

The best way to learn about nonprofits (or any field, really) is to participate in their programs, and the best way to expand your network is to get out there and meet new people. Try participating in fundraising events, networking events and behind-the-scenes duties at your favorite charities. If you are ready for an ongoing commitment with an organization you love, enquire about joining the board or make a regular commitment to volunteer for a specific duty. Not only will you be serving and strengthening the community, you will be strengthening your network and skill set.

As you reflect on the Thanksgiving holiday, be sure to thank those who have helped you along your career path for all of the time and resources they have dedicated and for believing in you. Pass on the good fortune by sharing your advice and stories with other nonprofit professionals below.

The holiday season is upon us and as you already know, there are numerous opportunities to give. With a long list of friends and family for whom you must buy gifts and a range of worthwhile causes to which to donate, the list of financial obligations during the holidays can quickly grow. Despite limited financial resources, many young professionals still love to give back. For these reasons, I am focusing this week on meaningful and festive ways to give to your community without breaking the bank and, in some cases, without spending anything at all.

Raid your cabinets for nonperishable items

I will admit it: This year, I turned into a holiday hoarder. After consistently experiencing canned pumpkin shortages during the holidays last year, I stockpiled early this year. Despite an excessive amount of time spent on Pinterest looking for pumpkin recipes, I have yet to make a single thing with pumpkin thus far this season. Each time I open the kitchen cabinets, cans upon cans of pumpkin stare me down. If you had a similar experience overloading on a nonperishable item that was on sale, consider contributing some of those already-paid-for goods to a local food shelter. Organizations like Attention Homes serve Thanksgiving and Christmas meals and thrive because of the generosity of donors who donate and prepare things like macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes (which are inexpensive and likely already around the house).

Donate and/or wrap presents

As a Regis alum, I am fortunate to be part of a community that believes whole-heartedly in engaging the entire surrounding community in giving back. Each year, Regis plays an active role in supporting the Father Woody Christmas Party by collecting, wrapping and distributing presents for those in need and assisting the day of the annual Christmas party. Whether or not you celebrate the Christmas holiday, this is a really fun and heartfelt way to show those in need that they are valued members of a community and lend a helping hand. Plus, if you need an extra incentive beyond the incredible sense of joy you are giving, there is a gift-wrapping PARTY with lots of other students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members (HINT: a great networking opportunity that could lead to more life-changing volunteer opportunities). Reach out to your alumni networks and find similar holiday parties that give back, or contribute to whichever cause is calling you. I found a very moving article about a new food pantry started by NC State University students and staff that is accepting community donations and encouraging student volunteers. Locally, organizations such as Food Bank of the Rockies, (which also lets donors set up their own virtual food drive online always need volunteers, especially at the holidays, and provide a great opportunity to get a group of school friends or alumni together to volunteer as a group.

Volunteer to spread holiday cheer

Some of my fondest memories have taken place at Marycrest Assisted Living Center through various school outings from middle school through college. I promise you that a day at Marycrest helping with one of their holiday parties or decorating activities will make your day. I have some of the funniest and sweetest stories from volunteering at Marycrest (one of the best memories is from the time I got to assist Santa as he took pictures with residents and visited with them) and would personally recommend looking into their volunteer opportunities. However, for those of you who live outside the north Denver area, there are plenty of opportunities to share some holiday cheer at an assisted care facility or similar organization near you. Contact their volunteer coordinator and ask if you (or, even better, you and a group of friends/family members/coworkers) can help bring the holiday spirit to that organization.

Find an organization that will match your donation

If you wish to give financially and want to double your cash, find an opportunity to get your donation matched. Some employers match workplace-giving contributions, so be sure to ask your supervisor if this is an option where you work. LivingSocial is currently matching $5 donations to Toys for Tots and offering $60 worth of care package items to U.S. troops for a mere $25 donation.

Whether you are donating items, money or time, I can tell you from my own experience that your holiday efforts will not go unnoticed. Be creative about your capacity to give and don’t be discouraged by a tight holiday budget. Get others involved in any of the activities mentioned above and you can make your gift go even further. HINT (yes, another one): Use this as a leadership opportunity to get alumni groups/young professional networks/boards/coworkers involved in year-end philanthropy and do a little networking at the same time—a win-win for all!

How do you plan to give back this holiday season? Share your ideas below.

By now, you probably know that tomorrow is National Philanthropy Day. What you might not know is that there are many ways to celebrate the day, and some that don’t even require opening your pocketbook. In the spirit of giving, we thought we’d share some of our best ideas with you.

Sign up to volunteer at your favorite nonprofit

Whether it’s a one-time gig serving food at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving or committing yourself to an ongoing mentoring position with local kids, National Philanthropy Day is a great day to commit yourself to getting more actively involved with local nonprofits. Or maybe you would rather stay behind the scenes and volunteer your time stuffing envelopes or helping with administrative duties. Either way, your volunteer hours are priceless to nonprofits and those they serve.

 Work your connections

Whether you work or volunteer for a nonprofit, leveraging your connections is a great way to help your favorite nonprofit, and it’s free. Do you know anyone who is on the board or staff of a foundation or is well-connected socially or politically? If so, it’s as simple as spreading the word about the great work your nonprofit does. While this may not directly lead to a grant, you will at least get your organization on their “radar.” And make sure you have literature from your nonprofit with you at all times so you can pass it on to anyone who may be interested. Even a simple business card with the organization’s name, phone number and website will do the trick.

Choose your favorite charity and make a pledge for Colorado Gives Day, now

Ok, this one, a suggestion from our friend Nancy Cruz at Friends First, will eventually cost you some money, but it’s well worth it. Make National Philanthropy the Day you nail down the organizations that you will give to on Colorado Gives Day (which is December 4). Sure, you can wait until December 4 to make your decision, but why wait? Get in the philanthropic spirit and start researching nonprofits that interest you. Giving First provides a place for you to get succinct info on the programs, financials and staff of over 1,000 local nonprofits so you can educate yourself before you make your gifts.

If you want to learn more about Colorado Gives Day and how to market your own nonprofit, click here to read a blog on the topic, complete with tips from Dana Rinderknecht, Manager of Online Giving for the Community First Foundation’s Giving First program.

Whatever you decide to do on National Philanthropy Day, make sure to make it a day of action. If you have creative ideas for celebrating the day, share them with us in the comments section below.

Cover letters. You’ve all heard about them, you’ve probably all written them—but are they landing you the interview? I recently read an article entitled: “The Five Biggest Wastes of My Time When I Was Unemployed” and was instantly intrigued by the focus on cover letters. As the author says, if every young professional is receiving the “same, generic, common sense advice” for crafting cover letters, how do you make yours truly shine? The reality is, many employers still require, or at least encourage, cover letters, because if done correctly they can give young professionals a chance to build on their resume and set the stage for an exciting interview. It’s not enough to spell check and write the recruiter’s name correctly at the top of the letter anymore—correct grammar, spelling and punctuation are expected and your letter won’t get extra points just for being typo-free. So, how do you create the cover letter that gets recruiters enthused about meeting you without spending all your precious time adapting the same old form letter? I’m glad you asked!

ONLY apply for jobs you REALLY want

One of my favorite things about the “Five Biggest Ways” article is that the author is very honest about her struggles as a young professional and asks her readers to be honest as well while job hunting. Yes, I know, this doesn’t seem tied to writing a cover letter but I promise you it is. If you are less than thrilled about a job, that lack of passion will show through in your cover letter the same way your excitement will if you are sincerely interested. If you don’t want the job, don’t apply.

Let your personality shine through, but maintain simplicity

Every paragraph you write should be carefully crafted to convey why your unique skill set is the BEST for the position. Cover letters should be brief (never over one page), out of respect for the recruiter’s time, meaning that you must make each statement count, deleting any and ALL irrelevant information or repetition. While I did say the cover letter should be creative, please note that I am referring to the language you use and the connections you draw, not the format. If a cover letter is difficult to read or understand, it won’t make a good impression. This may seem like common sense, but in today’s competitive job market some applicants stray from traditional cover letter formatting, something I would highly discourage. If you have an online portfolio or other creative work samples in addition to the materials you submit for your application—mention them in your cover letter—but do not include them unless asked.

Be proactive

You may have already read cover letter advice columns that advise you not to leave your application open ended with a wishy-washy statement like, “I would love to hear from you in the near future.” Hopefully, you are already avoiding vague and passive statements and platitudes. However, I have read several blogs/articles, like this one that advise you to go one step further. As the article says, use “polite” but “persuasive” language to ask for a meeting or outline your own next steps such as suggesting a follow-up call or meeting. Be sure that if the application specifies NO PHONE CALLS, you respect the employer’s wishes and instead consider something like a follow-up thank-you card or email that will remind the recruiter that you really are interested in the position.

Don’t reinvent the wheel

My personal suggestion for those writing cover letters is to research the common advice that other young professionals have received and then download or print some sample cover letters and imagine that you are competing with these other applicants. How does your cover letter differ? If you are stuck, ask a friend to compare the letters and point out similarities and give suggestions on how to make your cover letter stand out.

Are you currently writing a cover letter? Share your questions or creative advice in the comments section below. Have you reviewed a cover letter that you really loved? Give examples of the elements that really stood out to you below.

The value of a well-constructed portfolio is priceless, having the potential to serve as a personal tool for organization and self-assessment and as a visual timeline of your work. About.com defines a portfolio as “an organized collection of documentation that presents both your personal and professional achievements in a concrete way.” Keep that definition in mind when constructing a portfolio, ensuring that each item is a concrete representation of your career growth. To clarify, personal achievements should not include field day participation medals and the like; instead, “personal” achievements should reflect your ongoing community involvement outside of work, including board memberships and volunteer recognition (or, if you are a very recent grad, relevant activities such as internships, clubs and coursework). This week’s Ask Amber will focus on how to build a portfolio from both your personal and professional achievements and how to make it work for you.

Building a professional portfolio

Personally, I find it very helpful to start by creating a list of personal and professional goals to keep at the front of your portfolio and recommend that others try this when creating their first portfolio. This list is mostly for you, unless you choose to share it with a supervisor or mentor, so be honest, set realistic goals and refer back to this sheet every time you add or remove anything from your binder; how is each item a concrete reflection of your progress toward those goals?

ManifestYourPotential.com suggests using your portfolio not only to highlight work samples, but also to store and show off certificates and awards. Remember, if you intend to use your portfolio for a specific occasion, you can always remove things that are not relevant and put them back in the portfolio for safe keeping after the event. In addition to awards and certifications, your portfolio should include writing samples/samples of your work (used with permission if they include sensitive information about past employers or clients), a perfectly engineered resume, and a list of professional references and/or letters of recommendation.

When to use your portfolio

While some debate the value of bringing a portfolio to an interview, the majority of sources I found do not deny the value that comes with creating one and keeping it handy. The trick is to have realistic expectations about what your portfolio can do for you. It’s a great tool to organize your prized work samples and awards for safe keeping, it provides proof, if needed, of certification, it is a physical representation of your career goals and growth, and it can make it easy to find your top quality work samples that relate directly to your field if requested by a recruiter or employer. Should you choose to take a portfolio to an interview, use it to review before the interview, making sure your elevator speech and answers are consistent with the skills and values you highlight in your resume. Organize your portfolio so that if a question comes up that warrants an example, you can flip to it lightning fast, without wasting time rustling through papers. Do not expect an employer to read your entire portfolio (or even an entire work sample to be honest). Point out any visual cues or short sections that illustrate a particular skill; if the person seems interested, you can always offer to send them a virtual copy of the document to flip through at their leisure. You get bonus points if you have an online portfolio or a LinkedIn account that houses the same/similar information that you can not only refer to, but that is mentioned on your resume/cover letter/work sample.

If you have a professional mentor or are in the process of finding one, this is a great topic to discuss. Your mentor should be experienced in the field you want to go into and preferably in a specific job you aspire to. If the person has interviewed for entry-level positions (again, preferably the type you are seeking), ask if they can give examples of how a portfolio was used and whether an online portfolio or physical portfolio is most useful. Even better, does your mentor have a portfolio? Ask to see highlights if the person is willing to share.

What are your portfolio tips? Do you have a portfolio? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Between the abundance of candy, the cheesy horror films and the desperate search for a costume, Halloween can sometimes be an overlooked opportunity to make social change. Savvy young nonprofit professionals know better, though. Not only are there countless opportunities to stuff yourself silly with seasonal goodies, there are a number of ways to give back to the community, support eco-friendly practices and even be healthier. If you want to use Halloween as an excuse to get more people involved in the causes you care about, read on for fun ideas on how to do just that.

Host a costume swap party

There are a million reasons why I love this concept, but in the interest of brevity I will share with you just a few of my favorite costume swap party ideas. Strict holiday budgets are no reason to miss the Halloween festivities—sharing costumes with friends is a cost effective and eco-friendly way to celebrate. All you need to do is gather your friends and have them bring their unwanted costumes from the last few years. Any costumes left over after you swap can then be donated to local shelters and thrift stores that give back to the community or nonprofits that can redistribute the items to clients. If you do wish to make a monetary donation in addition, make a game of it with friends. Offer to donate a specified amount per costume that your friends bring to be given away and choose a favorite charity together (or give the money to the same organization you give the costumes to), or ask that friends join you in donating the money they would have spent on a new costume to a local nonprofit.

Donate leftover candy

Have you ever been left with a candy hangover after the holidays? If you wake up the day after Halloween feeling sick from all the candy, there is still a way to make good of the situation. Hold an office donation drive (make a game of the event if your office mates enjoy a good competition), collecting leftover candy from kids’ trick or treat bags, parties or from your own stockpile. Children’s Hospital Colorado has 15 spirited ideas for putting leftover candy to use, including giving the candy to Operation Gratitude, which sends the candy to troops overseas, or a participating business (better yet, you can organize your office as a donation center and extend the invitation to friends and clients to drop off candy that you will then donate to a specific cause). You can also find local nonprofits, nursing homes or children’s homes that are accepting candy donations.

Buy fair trade/socially responsible

Do you plan to host a party or give out candy to neighborhood kids? Use your holiday dollars to influence change around the world by buying fair trade and local products. Fair trade chocolates like those from Equal Exchange, a personal favorite of mine, come in a variety of healthy options such a vegan and gluten-free and support fair working conditions. If you’re hosting a party, look for fair trade cocoas and socially responsible treats like those from Women’s Bean Project to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth and use Dreambean soy candles to light your jack-o-lanterns and create a spooky décor.

Halloween fun does not have to come at the expense of the environment, social good, your waistline or your wallet. Young professionals can host the party of the season, give out the highest quality goodies and lead friends and coworkers in supporting great causes, all without sacrificing fun. To learn more about eco-chic Halloween tips, check out this article from the Huffington Post; to get more creative costume and candy ideas, visit Jen and Joey Go Green blog. What are you doing this year to scare up some fun? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Have you been charged with recognizing donors? Do you wonder where your organization would be without its donors? Individual donors at all levels are as essential to your organization as large foundation grants, so be sure that your individual donors are reminded of this in fun and fresh ways. There are plenty of easy and cost-effective ways to thank your donors that feel personal and will help you cultivate strong relationships. Impress colleagues and donors alike with these creative outreach strategies.

Send your donors an invitation

Are you hosting a free event that allows donors to mingle with staff, volunteers and/or clients? Do you offer tours of your facility? Engage donors in activities that cost them nothing and get them more involved in the organization. By showing that you appreciate your donors’ time, unique talents and interest in your organization—not just their monetary gifts—you paint a sincere picture of how much they contribute to your organization and how much you value their investment. An article reprinted from the NonprofitMarketingGuide.com stresses that this kind of invitation should always be separate from any appeal for donations.

Dedicate a space to thank yous from specific people

Canadian Blood Services created a website that is specifically for recipients of blood/platelet donations to share their stories and thank donors. While the style of this site is likely a bit ambitious for most small nonprofits, I couldn’t help but share it as an intriguing example. Do you have a wall that could be dedicated to client thank-you cards, stories and photos? Would your staff or clients be open to posting thank-you notes on Facebook to share their personal gratitude? The fun thing about the Canadian Blood Services website is it collects very personal thank-you notes and status updates of clients and showcases them in a very public way—giving large-scale recognition to donors and calling attention to the great work the organization does. Just be sure to get permission from clients before sharing personal stories, updates or thank-you notes.

Create a thank-you video

Don’t send the same old mass mailing that offers a boring form letter. Your knowledge of updated technology gives you the freedom to break free from routine thank yous. I love this example of a video thank you that a former coworker shared with me—and all the clients we have shown it to have loved it as well. Bowling Green State University created a rap video to thank major donors who contributed to its new gym, the Stroh Center. Videos like this one have been known to go viral, brightening up lots of people’s days and highlighting donors as superstars. However, videos are not limited to recognizing major donors. Even videos that include staff, volunteers and clients sharing their personal stories of what the program (funded by donations) means to them can be effective. These types of videos can be uploaded to social media platforms, websites and included in email recognitions.

How do you thank your donors? Have you received a fun and heartfelt thank you recently that you loved? Share in the comments section below.

As today’s young professionals search for ways to increase efficiency in their personal and professional lives and gain a competitive edge in their career while on the move, cell phones and tablets have become indispensable resources. Because of their growing ubiquity, I set out to uncover some of the most popular apps, including those that are sure to be the next big “must haves” for young professionals this season. With the help of my brilliant readers and dear friends (and a little Google research), I bring you some of the apps you have to check out TODAY. As a special bonus, these apps are FREE, because who doesn’t love a good deal?

Evernote

When I asked friends and followers on Facebook which apps they couldn’t live without, I was amused that a friend posted that her must-have app was “Evernote!!” Two exclamation points? I had to check it out. After the 50-second introductory video, I admit I fell in love and understood the excitement. This free app is compatible across almost all devices (laptops, Android phones, iPhones and tablets) and allows you to compile voice memos, photos, tweets, to-do lists, links, documents and so much more into one place that you can sync across all your devices and share. Picture this, you’re at a fundraiser or meeting and can capture photos, minutes, next steps and sound bites—all on your phone—that you can access from your computer later. There is way too much exciting information about this one for me to share in a short paragraph, so if you are new (like me) to Evernote, check out its extensive “Getting Started” webpage.

ImpulseSave

This app is a fun suggestion from one of our JVA Facebook friends. If you’re a young professional (or anyone really) trying to master the art of saving in a consumer-driven culture, this may be the app for you. The idea behind ImpulseSave is that even small, random acts of saving—just like small impulse purchases—can add up. The simple act of buying a smaller size coffee and jumping on your smart phone to quickly deposit the difference into a separate savings account can save calories and money, making saving fun. Yes I said FUN. On the flip side, an article in Huffington Post suggests that users weigh the long-term benefits of an “impulse” app and consider also implementing strategies that encourage more formal budgeting and yield higher interest rates.

VolunteerMatch

While I am a big fan of VolunteerMatch, I won’t spend too much time on this one since, sadly, it is not yet compatible with all devices. It is, however, worth mentioning for my iPhone-using readers and those who want to access the traditional website. This app lets you—the moment the urge to volunteer hits—access an extended network of current volunteer opportunities and sort by causes you care about in your neighborhood. VolunteerMatch can save you time and get the momentum rolling if you are in a meeting, class or having a conversation with friends and trying to organize a group volunteer effort. This is also useful when sitting around on a day off wondering what fun activities you can participate in for FREE.

News/Trends/Current Events apps

As evidenced by all of our Facebook friends who provided numerous tips, it is hard to choose just one news or trend app to follow. Here are some of your suggestions (and a few of mine): NPR, Mashable, Harvard Business Review Todayand the Denver Post.

Of course, there were so many great ideas, I have to share a few honorable mentions as well:

• MyFitnessPal
• Mint.com
• HootSuite
• Trello
• MemoPad
• Dropbox
• Cam Card
• Starbucks Locator

Do you have apps to add to this list? Share your favorite apps and how they help you on a day-to-day basis. Or share reviews of the apps listed by posting a comment below.

How often is it that the President of the United States is in your own front yard? For me that’s never happened—until today.

President Barack Obama has spent much of his week in Colorado—debating Mitt Romney at University of Denver on Wednesday and bringing his campaign tour to Sloan’s Lake on Thursday, which is directly across the street from JVA Consulting’s headquarters in Northwest Denver. Usually, Sloan’s Lake serves as the setting for a quick gaze from the window in between grant proposals or strategic planning sessions for the JVA team. This morning, however, several of us crossed the street to join thousands of other enthusiastic members of the Denver community who were interested in hearing what the President had to say. During his speech, the President shared his visions for health care, Medicare, education and reducing the deficit.

President Obama walks on stage for his speech at Sloan’s Lake in Denver.

It’s definitely not typical for most of our team to take a group field trip from the office like that, but this morning was different.

That’s the glove of JVA associate Angie White Ph.D. shaking hands with President Obama.

For many of us at JVA, the significance of this election reaches well beyond our personal lives—it is an extension of the work we do and the change we collectively seek in our community. It brings to mind the phrase Why I do what I do. In partnership with our amazing clients, we work everyday to create progress in our community that involves many of the issues that have become central in this election, including:

• Access to health care
• Safety nets for older adults, people with disabilities, children
• Hunger and access to nutritious food
• Women’s reproductive rights
• GLBTQ
• Environment
• And more

JVA research associate Laura Morales and social enterprise intern Shaina Bauman stop for a photo at the speech at Sloan’s Lake.

Having the privilege to work with incredible, committed social innovators and community change-makers in the nonprofit sector as well as across sectors gives us a unique perspective on these issues because we get to witness, or even measure, the impact that related services and programs have on our community. It’s that impact that underscores the importance of this election for us. That impact is why we do what we do. And we hope that in the coming years, that critical, community-strengthening impact will continue to reach those who need it most.

I know firsthand from friends who have had a hard time securing a job in their field that this economy is tough for young professionals, especially those who just graduated from college. This means that in order to stay afloat while trying to land a dream job, many choose to take jobs unrelated to the career path they have chosen. If you’re applying for jobs and considering cutting unrelated experience out of your resume, don’t hit that delete button just yet—gaps in employment or no employment history can hurt your resume more than unrelated work. Approached with the right attitude, unrelated jobs don’t have to be a major hurdle toward future employment in your field. The following is a list of ways you can not only explain away, but also highlight time spent outside the field.

Take an internship or volunteer position

I personally encourage everyone who asks me what to do while working in a temporary job to clear some time in their schedule for activities related to the nonprofit field. If your current position is part-time, this is an ideal opportunity for you to take on a part-time internship as well. Employers love seeing internships on a resume because it shows that the applicant was proactive and believed in the work he or she was doing enough to do it for free or very little pay (yes some internships pay, which is a great option if money is a concern). If you are working full-time, consider spending evenings or weekends volunteering with an organization you would love to work for or under the supervision of someone in a job you would like to have. Practice using the skills you are learning at your job in your internship/volunteer roles so are better equipped to give employers concrete examples of how your transferable skills (customer service, administrative duties, etc.) can benefit that organization.

Group relevant experience together at the top

An article on Monster.com suggests putting the most applicable skills and work experience at the top of your resume, bringing attention to your most valuable assets and lessening focus on less relevant information. Not only will the resume draw in recruiters who typically skim resumes on the first round, but, as the article reminds readers, using key words and phrases at the top of your resume will resonate with the automated scanners that employers sometimes use to weed out resumes that are not a good fit. Related skills, courses or positions listed in the beginning of your resume or cover letter can even include volunteer positions.

Practice talking about unrelated experience before an interview

Ask a friend, advisor, relative, etc. to serve as an “interviewer” for this exercise. Give the lucky volunteer a copy of the job description you are after and your resume. If they feel comfortable, ask them to quiz you on any work experience or skill set that doesn’t fit neatly into the position the company is hiring for. If you prefer, jump right into a conversation with the other person, talking about your past experience and why it makes you the right candidate for the position. Is the (mock) interviewer convinced? Gather feedback from the interviewer and yes, you guessed it, practice some more until you feel comfortable answering questions about your resume and/or using it as a springboard to discuss your candidacy.

Highlight dedication

If you held a particular job or volunteer position for a lengthy amount of time, highlight it to show the employer that you are dependable and serious about any job to which you apply. Employers don’t want to invest time in an employee who isn’t serious about sticking around or showing up, so if you have perfect attendance, flaunt it.

Do you have unrelated work on your resume? How do you highlight the work and explain it to prospective employers? If you are grad job who is job hunting, share your experience in the comments section below; if you are about to begin job hunting, share your concerns.