I think the emphasis on volunteerism has been exaggerated over the years. I shared a cockpit jumpseat with one of UAL’s Chief Pilots who said that it wasn’t emphasized nearly as much as people think it is, due to how difficult it is for them to verify it.
I think recruiters at job fairs emphasize it a lot, but have you ever noticed that recruiters are usually people who haven’t been at the airline very long themselves? Makes me think that the recruiters themselves may not have as much pull as we all think they do. I’ve been to a job fair or two, or three......and had one recruiter tell me one thing, only to get the exact opposite advice from another recruiter.