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Build These 5 Resume Skills as a Girl Scout Volunteer
Did you know? Many of the things that you learn from volunteering are known as “transferable skills” and can help you fill any gaps in your professional experience (or build a resume from scratch if you’re just starting out).
No experience required! Any caring adult can be a Girl Scout volunteer, and as you “learn by doing” you gain the exact kinds of talents and abilities today’s employers are looking for. Whether you’re re-entering the workforce, planning your next promotion, or looking for a new employer, get ready to add these skills to your resume.
1. Community Engagement
First and foremost, employers are looking to fill roles with talented people who know the value of community, who can build consensus and rally the troops. Your time with Girl Scouts will introduce you to many local professionals who share your commitment to building a brighter future. This shows a passion for working with others and demonstrates that you are a connected community leader.
2. Project Management
This is a top transferable skill that employers actively seek in candidates. Whether you’re leading a troop or just helping out during cookie season, you will have plenty of opportunities to manage meetings, coordinate activities, and prioritize tasks. Since one of the main aspects of Girl Scouting is that it’s girl-led, you’ll also get to practice delegating and acting as a project consultant, especially if you work with older Girl Scouts.
3. Communications
Email, texts, phone calls — and now, Rallyhood — there are so many ways to keep troops and their families organized and informed. Learning to effectively communicate with different people across different platforms is a non-negotiable skill. Mastering this skill will not only make you more marketable, but you may even learn how to better market yourself! There are specialized volunteer roles within Girl Scouts to build communication and marketing skills, such as GSCCC’s Service Unit Promotions Coordinator role.
4. Event Logistics
Event, meeting, and party planning is a necessary skill in many professions. Even though many new troop leaders benefit from the free Girl Scout Experience Box as an “open-and-go” solution for their meetings, Girl Scout volunteers quickly become masters of logistics. From preparing supply lists and organizing helpers to set-up and clean-up, you’ll get to see all the steps it takes to make a vision happen.
5. Supply Chain Management
Volunteering during the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program® is a “sweet” way to build supply chain management skills! Your experience ordering, allocating, distributing, and sorting cookies is incredibly valuable. You’ll learn to use powerful digital tools to keep inventory in check, develop systems to coordinate with families and cookie cupboards, and get practice reconciling the details with the big picture. (We can’t promise that this position pays in cookies, but we’re not saying it couldn’t…)
Any or all of these skills could be the thing that separates your resume from the rest, but you will reap the rewards in so many other ways, too. Girl Scouts is where confidence grows, where community grows, and where leadership grows; and every employer values having a strong, confident leader on their team!
