As a college student or young professional, you may wonder what extracurricular experiences you should list on your resume. Knowing which will impress recruiters the most can be challenging, so here are a few tips to help you decide which extracurricular experiences to list on your resume:
Think about the skills and knowledge you want to highlight.
What are your strengths? What internship or full-time roles are you applying for? What skills have you developed through your extracurricular activities? When listing your extracurricular experiences, focus on those showcasing your skills and experience.
Consider the job you're applying for.
When you're applying for jobs, take some time to research the company and the position. What are the company values? (Hint: these can be found in the “qualifications” section of the job description.) When listing extracurricular experiences, focus on the ones most relevant to the job.
Keep it concise.
Your resume should be one page long, so you only have a little space to list your extracurricular experiences. When deciding which experiences to include, choose the most relevant to the skills listed in the job description.
Here are a few examples of extracurricular experiences that are worth adding to your resume:
Leadership roles - List them if you've held leadership positions in extracurricular activities. This shows potential employers you have strong leadership skills and can take on responsibility.
Volunteer work - Volunteer work is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to your community and your willingness to help others.
Academic clubs and organizations - These clubs show potential employers that you're a well-rounded student interested in learning and growing.
Sports and other athletic activities - If you're involved in sports or other athletic activities, this signals to potential employers that you're a team player, and have good sportsmanship and time management skills.
Creative activities - List creative activities, such as music, art, or writing, and any associated freelance work or websites you created.
When you're listing your extracurricular experiences on your resume, be sure to include the following information:
The name of the activity.
Your title and role in the activity.
The length of time you were involved in the activity.
Following these tips, you can choose the extracurricular experiences that will impact your resume most and help you land your dream job. For more resume writing tips and editing services assistance, to Resume All Day's network to receive your free Resume Do's and Don'ts guide.