TIPS ON CHOOSING EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES! NEED TO BOOST RESUME OR CHANCES OF GETTING A SCHOLARSHIP?

It’s the holidays again and we all want some extra cash don’t we? However, as we all soon find out, there’s always that catch where nearly every single job advertisement you read wants you to have previous work experience, but you’re just looking for your first job! Whether your intention is to look for a job or improve your chances of getting a university scholarship later on, extra-curricular activities are a great way for you to boost your resume if you don’t have much previous experience. There’s so many different types of activities you can do, from volunteering in a nursing home to trying to build something special on social media. So, what kind of extra-curricular activities should you do? How do you choose them?

We also have a post about tips for writing a good student resume.

Be Open-Minded

Don’t constrain yourself to only thinking about the generic volunteering activities your friends or other classmates might be doing. Sure, if you love doing them, you totally should. However, there is so much more out there and trust me, they can seem much more special than something generic. Think outside the box. You can start a blog or Instagram account which you can be truly passionate about, or even join a certain club that you have great interests in and meet new people there.

 

Choose something you like or are passionate about

This brings me onto the next point. Choose something you’re passionate about and you can do forever. Firstly, if you pick something you find boring that’ll only “look good on the resume”, you won’t be able to do it for long. On the other hand, if you pick something you actually love and enjoy, whether its about coffee or helping a cause you’re passionate about, not only will you work on it and make it amazing, you’ll also meet like-minded people through social media or face-to-face. These like-minded people can even be the ones that’ll want to hire you. Even better, you may find a job that you actually enjoy that’s related to what you like rather than something that is generic and plain. So, do what you love because that might actually become your work one day!

Long Term Dedication

One thing that is always attractive on a resume is dedication to a job, rather than always jumping around doing little generic things. This is another reason why you should actually choose something you’re passionate about, because you can continue doing it for a long time! Showing that you can build something overtime is definitely key to standing out.

Demonstration of Teamwork or Leadership

It’s also really helpful if you are able to demonstrate teamwork and leadership in your extracurricular activities. Whether it’s from training or just from performing the extracurricular activity, leadership/teamwork skills are something many employers and universities look for. Remember to also clearly show/note how a particular activity relates to teamwork/leadership on your resume as well!

Jack Zheng | N° 64