Increase your Resume Experience with Extracurricular Activities
Involvement in extracurricular activities can be a great way to acquire the needed experience for the current job market. The current job market has employers that look forward to employing people with experience. Experience provides employers with a track record of how well you can work with others in an organization with direct working relationships within a given field. The biggest barrier between young graduates and the job is having no experience. But how do you get the required experience without ever having that initial job? In this article, we discuss various extra- curricular activities that can help bulk up your Resume which in turn can improve your chances of landing that job. Some ways of showing your experience could include demonstrating yourself as a team player, leader, or having desirable skills/traits.
Join a sport team
Being involved on a sports team shows much more than your physical fitness ability. One who is actively involved in sports demonstrates someone that has experience with teamwork and is focused and dedicated. Such traits are the most valued skills in any institution and if you have experience being part of a collective team, you will have increased your probability of being considered for a position. Owing to the fact that you have shown your ability to work with others effectively towards a common goal while also having maintained a competitive spirit to attain a specific goal.
Volunteer
When you are volunteering for a specific project, you are portraying that you are capable of working for the greater good of the institution rather than for personal gains. In many institutions, which offer voluntary opportunities, they provide training with an opportunity to work within an organizational atmosphere. By doing volunteer work, you will have gained experience that many employers desire – the ability to work in an organization effectively. Sometimes organizations offer certificates after completion of the volunteer project. This will give a very big boost to your Resume and you will have experience needed for minimum job requirements set by employers.
Be a leader in your college or sporting club
In most learning institutions, student leaders are elected. If you are elected to any of leadership positions, it will be a clear indication that you are a person who has developed his communication and interpersonal skills well. Your leadership skills are also well displayed. If you add these skills to your Resume, there is no where you will present your papers and be turned away. In most cases student leaders have part time employment long before they are done with school. Being a leader will increase your interpersonal skills and also will develop organizational skills that many companies look for prospects.
Writing hobby
If your hobby is writing and you have published work, it is good to include such works in your Resume. This will show that you are very productive and can work towards a certain goal and accomplish the task. Do not fail to include this even if the career you are applying for is not related in any way to writing you have had published. What you are trying to prove here is that you are a hard working person who is worthy to be considered for any post within your area of specialization even if you are a fresh graduate from college.
Organizing events
Most recent graduates forget that while in college they have had experience with participating in team meetings, planning events, and overall organization skills to maintain a healthy GPA. Do not short yourself out of including organizing such events in your Resume. Organization of local events within your neighborhood or town, church or a local youth group, can boost your experience on a Resume as well. If you have participated in the organization of such events, ask the lead organizer of the event to write a letter of recommendation for you to bring with you to interviews. This prepares you to prove your experience with specific organizations. This will boost your credibility when an employer is looking for someone with experience.
Conclusion
Jobs are hard to come by especially when you do not have the conventional experience required for a specific job. To get supporting experience, it is good to involve yourself with extracurriculum activities which can help you bring out some of the required skills of the employer. Work hard to get involved in extra curricular activities that will make you noticed by the employer as well as the community. There is nothing that comes for free these days and you must work hard to sell yourself to that future employer by demonstrating all of your non-traditional experience. Get creative by showcasing your skills that you have obtained through extracurricular activities. Using the right resume templates is also important of course!
