Volunteer Interview: 10 Tips to Succeed

6 min readAug 6, 2020

So, you’ve applied to volunteer for a cause you care about and you’ve successfully landed yourself an interview; what’s next?

Well, you can be sure that it won’t be the same as a traditional interview. Your career success will hardly play a factor in whether or not you get the job.

In the nonprofit sector, passion and being genuine are normally the factors that land you the role. So, how do you show your motivation to help out?

Below, we have outlined ten tips for succeeding in your volunteer interviews.

Volunteer Interview: What Are They Looking For?

Here are some key attributes recruiters are looking for that will benefit you to know in your interview with a nonprofit organization:

1. Be Certain

It is normal to be cautious about where you volunteer your precious time — but in an interview is no time to yourself.

Remember — you applied for their organization because you see them as a leader in their cause and your skills fit their needs.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be curious of the nature of their work, but just be as certain as possible you are in the right place.

2. Write an Application Essay

Writing a volunteer application essay isn’t the norm, but if you are knowledgeable about the cause and have done your due diligence learning about the organization, why not show them with a short essay showcasing your dedication.

It is sure to catch their attention and, depending on what you write, it could rub them in the right way about you.

It doesn’t have to be a school-length essay. Be articulate, short, and sweet. Say what you need to say that will prove you are the one for the position.