Not sure whether to include any volunteer stints you’ve had as part of your application? Worried that they might not be taken seriously enough? You might want to think again.

In a 2013 survey by global consulting firm Deloitte, more than four out of five US human resources managers said that skills and experience gained while volunteering are taken into consideration when deciding whether to hire a candidate. And in a reed.co.uk survey commissioned by London-based volunteer facilitator TimeBank, 80% of UK employers said that they value volunteering on a CV.

So the question no longer is whether to include your volunteer experience — but how to include it.

Keep it relevant

Focus on those activities that are most relevant to your career, said Suzanne Lucas, a former human resources manager who now writes the Evil HR Lady blog. For example, if you’re a teacher and you have volunteer experience as a Scouts leader, include it. “It’s highly relevant: kids, organisation, etc,” said Lucas. “But, if you’re an accountant, detailing your Cub Scout leadership is more likely to have a recruiter going, ‘Ugh, she's going to want to leave early to do this.’” Of course this wouldn’t be the case if you also did the troop’s finances. Then, you would want to mention it. Tailor the content to your audience.

Be specific

No one wants to simply see a list of organisations where you volunteered. For all they know, you could have been licking envelopes once a month.

“Break it down as finitely as you can,” said Nicole Williams, LinkedIn’s career expert. “(Detail) what you did, what you contributed.”

Highlight results in quantifiable metrics, said Mark Zafra, a senior director for a northern California financial services company. Be as specific as possible. He suggested using phrases such as, “helped build two houses”, “trained 24 people”, “assisted rehab with three turtles”.

Do your homework

If you know the name of the hiring manager who will be interviewing you, find out as much as you can about the person beforehand online. You never know if one of your volunteer stints may be in line with something he or she cares about. A colleague of Williams was trying to decide between two equally experienced and talented candidates. Williams suggested she take a look at their LinkedIn profiles. One didn’t list any volunteer work; the other included work at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). The volunteer got the job —the person doing the hiring also loved animals.

Finding something in common with a hiring manager is often “what catapults you to the next level as a candidate,” said Williams, and can help you connect “on a more personal level.”

Hiring managers taking note

Adam Lloyd, president of global executive search firm Webber Kerr Associates in Tampa, Florida, in the US, said in an email that he is seeing more and more hiring managers look to candidates’ online social platforms “to learn about them as individuals.” So, including your volunteer work there is a smart move. LinkedIn has even added a profile field specifically for “Volunteer Experience and Causes” and, more recently, a “Volunteer Marketplace” section to the site designed to match volunteers with nonprofit organisations. “From a recruiter’s standpoint, volunteer work is a character trait that falls in the ‘intangible attributes’ column,” said Lloyd. “Like applying to a university, it adds dimension and a perception of well roundedness that may offer a leg up to one’s candidacy.”

Better than nothing

If you have a long gap on your resume or CV, one of the best ways to fill it is by volunteering in a field related to your career, said Jorg Stegemann, managing director of Paris-based Kennedy Executive Search & Outplacement, in an email. “After six months, at the most, you have to put something on your CV and LinkedIn profile. Voluntary work is a great choice.”

If you are a financial director but out of a job at the moment, you can still do work as a financial director, suggested Stegemann. “Did you counsel a close friend on his strategy? Established the tax returns for your brother-in-law?” Otherwise, a gap without explanation can be interpreted as “sitting at home and watching TV,” he said.

And always be specific. “Rather than writing ‘good organisation skills,’ show them,” said Stegemann. For example, if you have raised 10,000 euros ($12,500) for a children’s cancer fund, say it, he suggested.