While going to university is a lot of fun, it also helps you become ready for the next phase of your career. If you give your interests your all, they too might help you advance your profession. Universities are fantastic locations to participate in extracurricular activities and everything you accomplish there may be put on your resume to help you acquire a job in the future. And keep in mind that these will not only be useful to you practically once you have earned your degree and are going on to a career or further study, but they will also make your time at university more pleasurable by allowing you to make friends, advance your mind, and maintain your fitness. Reports suggest that officials are seeking to produce a workspace made up of employees with various interests and experiences. Your extracurricular activities will be extensively scrutinized by them to determine who you are and what matters to you. This implies that the extracurricular activities you select will represent who you are. Here are 9 extracurricular activities you may participate in to strengthen your job application and set yourself apart from the competition.

Do Extracurricular Activities Belong On A Resume?

You should think about including extracurricular hobbies on your professional resume in a variety of circumstances. These consist of:

To demonstrate leadership abilities

When assessing resumes from job candidates, the majority of companies favor candidates with strong leadership qualities and will seek evidence of them. Professionals with leadership skills are likely to succeed in any position for which they are qualified because they are adaptable and transferable. Therefore, the employer will think that you can apply the abilities and information you acquired in the workplace if you state on your resume that you oversaw a team or were in charge of overseeing a project when you were a student.

To showcase your technological expertise

It will be helpful to highlight any practical training and professional experience you obtained through membership in a related club, association, or organization if a position demands certain technical abilities. For instance, if you're interested in a profession in architecture, joining the National Association of Students of Architecture will be beneficial. Potential employers will be more inclined to take into account your job application if they see that you are serious about advancing your professional knowledge and prospects in your sector.

When your experience is limited

If you have little to no work experience or have never had a job, you may still demonstrate to potential employers your professional potential by including a long list of extracurricular activities on your resume. A quick explanation of the abilities and information you acquired from these activities will be helpful. You may also highlight any honors and distinctions you have won. Be sure to emphasize how your extracurricular activities relate to the position you are looking for. Despite your lack of prior job experience, many companies will give you a chance if you can show them that you have strong communication, people, leadership, passion, and a desire to learn abilities.

What Extracurricular Activities Would Look Good on a Resume?

You can engage in a wide range of extracurricular activities while attending school. Following are a few illustrations of excellent extracurricular activities for a resume:

1. Internships: Demonstrate your hard skills

An internship would be the ideal course of action if you want to obtain experience in a sector that interests you. As an intern, you'll get the ability to discover the requirements and operations of a company and acquire practical transferrable skills. During this time, you will have the chance to broaden your network and get to know businesspeople who could be able to assist you to find work once you finish your studies.

Despite this, your internship need not be related to your academic field. In fact, broadening your knowledge outside of your field of study could make you a compelling job prospect.

2. Volunteering: Show a commitment to the community

One of the finest extracurricular activities for your CV is volunteering, which is not just a satisfying way to give back to your community.

Many businesses want to make a difference in their communities and want to hire socially conscious and responsible workers who can assist them in a variety of social endeavors. Make a note of it on your resume if you have engaged in environmental cleaning initiatives, served meals at homeless shelters, provided job training to economically disadvantaged persons, or taught poor children. The inclusion of volunteer activities on your resume demonstrates your dedication to your community and readiness to assist others.

3. Sports: Prove health and work-life balance

Sports, whether you're an NCAA student-athlete or a yellow belt in karate, may boost your CV and show that you're a team player. Sports also demonstrate that you are motivated, hardworking, and thrive on healthy competition, all of which are attractive qualities for employers.

You can discuss not just your trophies and championships, but also your athletic scholarships, accolades, and other achievements. Interested in a role of leadership? To demonstrate actual results to hiring managers, use your job as a team leader or talk about when you adopted a successful practice plan.

4. Performing Arts: Show the love of culture

Think again if you thought your role in a college play wasn't important enough to include on your resume.

Participating in acting, music, dancing, or other performing arts not only ensures that your time in college is unique but also equips you with the skills you'll need to find employment after graduation. After all, it takes a lot of self-assurance, self-control, and polished communication abilities to get up on stage and perform for a big crowd!

Trying to get a job in the arts? Utilize your involvement in college theatre or musicals to demonstrate your capacity for creative thought. Recruiters are looking for applicants who can communicate well and work well with others.

To showcase your leadership and communication abilities, you can also mention any prior experience organizing college activities, participating in debates, or telling stories.

5. Tutoring: Exhibit leadership skills and responsibility

Tutoring is not only one of the best side jobs for college students to get quick cash, but you can also list it as an extracurricular on your CV to make it stand out from the competition!

Tutoring demonstrates your expertise in a subject and your want to share it with others in order to help them succeed, whether you tutor your niece or nephew on the weekends or are a part of a structured tutoring program.

Want to make a strong first impression on your work ethic and interpersonal abilities? One method to accomplish this is to mention your tutoring experience. Tutors are flexible to various scenarios and working places since they work with a range of pupils. Experience as an instructor demonstrates your ability to develop and flourish in any setting and your adaptability to developing technology and procedures.

6. Student Government: Prove a commitment to social justice 

It's a terrific method to hone skills like decision-making, communication, and leadership since student leaders serve as the liaison between teachers and students. The members of the student council deal with a wide range of school problems, from safety concerns to salaries for student workers. If you're considering a career in politics, public administration, or the nonprofit industry, becoming active in student government may be quite beneficial.

Established extensive policies or had a position of executive responsibility? Employers prize candidates that go above and above to have a great influence on their community, so you could get extra points for doing that.

7. Foreign Languages: Communicate tenacity and an international perspective

A second language may help you build your professional network, open doors to employment abroad, and provide you with a significant competitive edge over your monolingual competitors. It also demonstrates your intelligence, commitment, and work ethic to list language skills on your CV.

A university is a fantastic setting to pick up a new language. Numerous colleges not only provide free language classes to their students, but many also give them access to services like Rosetta Stone at a reduced or no cost. The language programs at many institutions are of a high caliber, as one might anticipate, and because they are typically varied, multicultural places, there are many possibilities for tandem partners to practice with other students. One of the finest things you may have in your armory to put on your resume is language study, which is ranked number seven but actually number one.

Do you still need an excuse to practice your French or Portuguese? Compared to other employees, bilingual workers often earn 10 to 15 percent more money!

8. Greek Life: Make connections for your career 

When most individuals hear the phrase "Greek Life," they immediately picture parties and socializing. However, many members of the Greek community organize charity events, take part in volunteer work, and work hard to make their colleges better.

People sometimes overlook the fact that being in Greek life may be a rewarding experience in between stories of hazing and crazy frat parties (and important addition to your resume). Greek groups provide you the same opportunities as other clubs to hold workshops, plan fundraisers, and network with a large database of alumni. 

Remember that tangible accomplishments are preferred by employers, so think of relevant examples to include, such as painting three homes for Habitat for Humanity or leading seminars on self-esteem and anti-bullying for Prevent Child Abuse America. These particular occasions can serve to demonstrate your managerial abilities, proactivity, and community participation.

9. School Newspaper: Demonstrate confidence and drive 

Student newspapers are excellent ways to hone your writing and editing abilities, as well as to become accustomed to a fast-paced work environment with strict deadlines. You can generally work on many aspects of the newspaper, such as design, editing, and, of course, writing and journalism. Many contain local news, political reporting, and comment areas that deal with more delicate themes, allowing students to express themselves. Even if you only write a few times instead of having a defined job at the publication, it means you'll gradually build your portfolio and have something to put on your CV - and seeing your name in print is always a lovely experience. 

A school newspaper is already present at many schools and universities, and it is always seeking writers and editors. Working for a newspaper (or other comparable institution) provides you the chance to improve your writing abilities as well as develop your communication abilities and a body of work.

Your ability to work hard, meet deadlines, think quickly on your feet, and be a team player will be known by employers in addition to the fact that you are an excellent writer. Each of these characteristics might make you stand out from other applicants.

It can be necessary to go above and beyond to impress recruiters in order to land the ideal job after graduation. In your college years, extracurricular activities are a fantastic method to demonstrate the skills you have acquired outside of the classroom.