Many young people care deeply about the world around them. We work with young people every day and we are always always impressed by the social engagement, awareness, and care they show. They want to leave a positive mark on the world and they want to make a difference.
As an employer, knowing how to spot social action on a CV can help you to choose the best possible candidates for your open positions.
In today’s post, we will show you how to spot social action on a CV when you are assessing young job candidates.
What is social action?
The government defines social action as follows:
“Social action is about people coming together to help improve their lives and solve the problems that are important in their communities. It can include volunteering, giving money, community action or simple neighbourly acts.”
In other words, social action is all about striving to better the world around us. It can include both big and small actions, and can impact anything from one person to an entire group, community, or more.
Why should you care about social action on a CV?
As an employer, there are numerous benefits to looking for employees who care about social action and like to take an active role in improving the world around them.
These individuals are likely to be highly conscientious, compassionate, and considerate of others. These are great traits for an employee to have, and prioritising them contributes towards a happy and collaborative workplace with a positive culture. They are also likely to participate in any social action projects your company organises, which is great news for your reputation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals.
Social action projects can also allow young people to develop and grow their skills, from practical skills (such as programming, graphic design, or project management) through to soft skills (such as teamwork, communication, self-motivation, and organisation). Young people with social action experience are likely to be problem-solvers, self-starters, and great team players.
4 efficient ways to Spot Social Action on a CV
Now that you understand the importance of social action experience, how can you spot it on a CV? Here are four ways:
Look for a “volunteering” section
Many jobseekers include a “volunteering” section on their CVs, particularly young people who may not have a lot of professional experience yet. These sections can cover all kinds of experience, from formal volunteering activities with registered charities to informal activities through their school, college, university, social groups, or within their local communities.
Many employers are particularly impressed by large and extensive volunteering projects, such as travelling abroad to take part in projects such as building houses. However, do not discount prospective employees with smaller-scale volunteering experience, which can develop the same skills and be just as impactful to local communities.
Look for extracurricular activities
Young people may take part in all kinds of extracurricular activities at school, college, university, or in their spare time. Look for activities such as playing sports, being a member of a club or team, or artistic pursuits such as music or drama.
Many of these activities contain a social action component, which applicants may include on their CVs. Anything from coaching younger children on a sports team to taking part in a charity concert with a band or choir can count as a form of social action.
Some extracurricular activities also specifically have a social action component. This can include activities such as peer mentoring, joining a campaigning or advocacy group, and fundraising groups such as university Raise-and-Give (“RAG”) societies.
Look for professional roles with a social action component
Many paid jobs also have a social action component, so don’t forget to look at candidates’ professional experience for evidence of social action. Any role that involves working for a charity or non-profit organisation likely counts as a form of social action. Likewise, any role that indicates socially conscious values–for example, jobs involving sustainability, equality, and community outreach are just a few examples of ways that social action can play a role in the professional world.
Look at specific achievements candidates have listed within past job roles, too. Perhaps they took part in a workplace fundraising challenge, played a key role in their trade union, or were involved in an advocacy group to support marginalised or underrepresented employees.
Look for skills, certifications, and training related to social action
Job candidates who have gone above and beyond to develop their skills are likely to be appealing to you as an employer. Take a closer look at job candidates’ skills, certifications, and training to see whether any of them relate to social action in any way.
This can include everything from formal academic qualifications (such as degrees, diplomas, and A Levels) through to professional certifications, job-based training, employability training at school or college, or informal training taken either online or in person.
Make Your Hiring Process Efficient
It’s easier to spot something on a CV when you know what you’re looking for. We hope these tips will help make scanning CVs with social action in mind a little easier.
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