Extracurricular Activities in Resume 2023 [10+ Tips to 50+ List]
4 min read
Is it essential to add extracurricular activities in resume?
No, but adding extracurricular activities in your resume can offer you bonus points in the recruitment process.
Currently, when humans are making machines smart, why would they want to hire someone who works like a machine?
Try Now for Free!
Recruiters want to hire someone who can align with company culture apart from having suitable skills required for the job.
Recruiters analyze this by the extracurricular activities in resume. Keeping this in mind, we are here showcasing the importance along with the whys, whats and hows related to the extracurricular activities in resume. Here you will see:
- What are extracurricular activities in resume?
- Where should you mention extracurricular activities in resume?
- What are the best extracurricular activities in resume?
- How to list extracurricular activities in resume?
You may face multiple hurdles while building a resume, as it is not a piece of cake even for experts. Hence, we recommend using HyreSnap Resume Builder, which can effectively build professional resumes in a few minutes.
For now, let us get more details about extracurricular activities in resume:
Extracurricular activities in a resume refer to any activities or experiences you have participated in outside of your formal education or work experience. These activities include sports teams, clubs, volunteer work, hobbies, and more.
Including extracurricular activities on your resume can be beneficial as they can demonstrate skills and qualities valuable in the workplace, such as leadership, teamwork, and communication skills.
When including extracurricular activities on your resume, it's important to choose activities relevant to the position you are applying for and highlight the skills and experiences most relevant to the job.
For example, if you are applying for a job in marketing, you may want to highlight your experience in a marketing club or your involvement in a social media campaign.
Overall, including extracurricular activities on your resume can be a great way to showcase your skills and experiences beyond your formal education and work history.
Extracurricular activities and co-curricular activities are both activities that students can participate in outside of their regular academic coursework. However, there are some differences between the two.
The main difference between these two activities is that Extracurricular activities are not directly related to a student's academic coursework. These can include clubs, sports teams, volunteer work, or hobbies.
Whereas, Co-curricular activities are activities that are directly related to a student's academic coursework. These include field trips, science fairs, or music concerts.
The school or the teachers usually organize co-curricular activities, and participation may be mandatory or strongly encouraged.
In terms of including these activities on a resume, both extracurricular and co-curricular activities can be valuable to highlight.
When mentioning extracurricular activities in a resume, we recommend placing them in a section highlighting your skills beyond your formal education and work history.
Here are a few options for where to mention extracurricular activities on your resume:
In a dedicated "Activities" or "Extracurricular Activities" section: You can create a separate section on your resume to highlight your extracurricular activities.
This section can include clubs, volunteer work, hobbies, and other activities you have participated in outside of your formal education or work experience.
In the "Experience" section: If your extracurricular activity involves a leadership role, you can mention it in your resume's "Experience" section, just like you would for a job or internship.
For example, if you were the captain of a sports team or the club president, you can list this as an experience.
In the "Skills" section: Extracurricular activities can also demonstrate skills valuable in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, or leadership.
You can highlight these skills in your resume's dedicated "Skills" section and provide examples of how you developed these skills through your extracurricular activities.
No matter where you mention your extracurricular activities, be sure to focus on the skills and experiences most relevant to the job or educational program you are applying for.
Use specific examples and quantify your achievements whenever possible to make your extracurricular activities stand out on your resume.
There are several reasons why you should consider adding extracurricular activities in your resume:
Demonstrates well-roundedness: Extracurricular activities can show that you have diverse interests and experiences beyond your formal education and work history.
Highlights skills and qualities: Extracurricular activities can demonstrate skills and qualities that are valuable in the workplace, such as leadership, teamwork, communication, and time management.
Sets you apart from other candidates: Including extracurricular activities on your resume can help you stand out from other candidates who may have similar educational backgrounds and work experiences.
Shows initiative: Participating in extracurricular activities can demonstrate that you are proactive and take the initiative to pursue your interests and develop your skills outside of the classroom or workplace.
Relevant to the position: If your extracurricular activities are relevant to the position you are applying for, they can demonstrate that you have experience in the field and are passionate about it.
Overall, including extracurricular activities in your resume can provide a complete picture of who you are as a person and a professional.
It can also help you demonstrate the skills, qualities, and experiences most relevant to the job or educational program you are applying for.
Extracurricular activities in your resume showcase your capabilities apart from your technical skills. Below we have mentioned some extracurricular activities that you can add to your resume to stand out of the crowd of competitors:
Foreign Languages
Knowledge of any foreign language can impress the recruiter during the interview process. Additionally, some jobs have specific language requirements. You can strengthen your shortlisting chances if you have learned that language already.
Knowledge of any foreign language is a sign of:
Hard work
Interest in self-development
Communication skills
Cultural awareness
Adaptability
Interpersonal skills
Communication skills
Work ethic
Critical thinking skills
Student Council
To be a part of the student body in college or high school, you must be elegant, sharp-minded, and a quick learner.
The student body members have diverse responsibilities, which develop extraordinary skills in them. If you are or have been a part of any student body, you can add that experience in your resume to present yourself as the right fit for the job.
A member of the student body showcases:
Collaboration skills
Teamworking
Leadership skills
Business skills
Fundraising experience
Problem-solving skills
Organizational skills
Event planning skills
Hard-working
Active listening skills
Management skillsSports
Showcasing your sports achievements doesn’t only present your physical capabilities but also your mental ones.
Most sports activities require coordination, teamwork, patience, dedication, and continuous improvement. This is why recruiters love to see sports achievements in a candidate’s resume.
Sports in resume demonstrate:
Dedication
Communication
Leadership
Teamwork
Work ethic
Self-improvement
Time management
Active thinking
Decision makingOrganizations/Clubs/Societies
You can show if you have ever been a part of any school club, society, or organization. It may include your school or college drama club, debate club, e-cell, etc.
Being a part of a bigger community means you have the expertise and skills to work in a corporate hierarchy. It means you have skills like:
Being a part of a bigger community demonstrates these skills:
Time management
Teamwork
Specific soft or hard skills
Communication
Creative thinking
Self-improvement
Cultural awareness
Organizational skills
FundraisingVolunteering
Most people assume that volunteering is not a job. Hence it is not giving a worth.
But volunteering is a job without pay. While volunteering, you will have to devote your free time, complete tasks, and meet targets. Recruiters pay attention to the volunteering experience in a candidate’s resume.
Being a volunteer demonstrates the following:
Self-starter attitude
Organizational skills
Motivation
Work ethic
Teamwork
Leadership
Patience
Communication
Mentoring
Time managementPeer Tutoring
Peer tutoring is a way to spend your time for others' benefit.
Be it a part of school tutoring or any other educational program, peer tutoring means you have a keen knowledge of a specific subject and are comfortable sharing that knowledge to let others grow better.
Generally, professionals hesitate to share their extensive knowledge with juniors. Hence, recruits value this trait a lot.
Peer tutoring in resume showcases:
Teamwork
Communication
Flexibility
Specific expertise
Creative thinking
Patience
Subject knowledge
Critical thinkingFundraising
As its name suggests, fundraising is a specific task given to you in an organisation to raise funds.
It is not easy as it sounds, and it needs strong skills to be a successful fundraiser. Hence, if you have raised funds in your previous experience, you must add it to your resume.
Experience of fundraising in resume demonstrates the following:
Marketing skills
Project management skills
Business development skills
Teamwork
Analytical thinking skills
Communication skills
Writing skillsRelevant Hobbies
You can list your hobbies as extracurricular activities if they align with your applied profile. For example, your hobby of writing can play a great part in your shortlisting for a content writer profile.
Non-Academic Competitions
You can also add the details of any non-academic competitions you participated in. It will showcase your capabilities to handle challenges.
Non-academic competition details in resume demonstrate:
Hard work
Pressure handling
Creative thinking
Goal orientation
MotivationGovernment Related Activities
Similar to the non-academic competitions, you can add government-related activities too in your resume. It will showcase the following:
Government-related activities in resume:
Work ethics
Time management
Organisational abilities
Communication skills
Listing extracurricular activities on your resume can demonstrate your diverse range of interests and skills. Hence, we recommend making a separate section while adding extracurricular activities in resume.
Here are some tips for effectively listing extracurricular activities on your resume:
Choose relevant activities: Only include activities relevant to the job you are applying for or showcase skills important for the position.
For example, suppose you're applying for a marketing position. In that case, you might want to list activities demonstrating your communication skills, such as being a debate team member or participating in public speaking competitions.
Be concise: Keep your descriptions of each activity brief and to the point. Employers are more interested in your skills and accomplishments than in the details of your extracurricular activities.
Highlight accomplishments: Focus on the accomplishments and skills you gained from each activity rather than simply listing the activity itself.
For example, instead of just saying you were a school newspaper member, you might highlight that you served as an editor and learned valuable skills in editing, writing, and teamwork.
Order by importance: List your extracurricular activities in order of importance, with the most relevant or impressive activities at the top.
We recommend a separate section listing all your extracurricular activities for an organized presentation.
Here are some examples of how to list extracurricular activities on your resume:
Example 1: Member, Debate Team, XYZ High School
Competed in local and regional debate competitions, winning multiple awards
Developed strong public speaking and critical thinking skills
Example 2: Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity
Participated in building and repairing homes for low-income families
Developed teamwork and problem-solving skills while working on construction projects
Example 3: Founder and President, Entrepreneurship Club, ABC University
Organised monthly meetings and events for members interested in entrepreneurship
Coordinated a successful fundraising campaign that raised over $10,000 for a local nonprofit organisation
Example 4: Musician, Local Symphony Orchestra
Participated in weekly rehearsals and performances
Developed discipline, time management, and teamwork skills through working with other musicians
Remember to tailor your extracurricular activities to the specific job you are applying for and highlight the skills and accomplishments that are most relevant to the position.
Adding extracurricular activities in resume is equally time-consuming as other parts of it. Hence we recommend you be completely focused while adding your extracurricular activities in resume.
Or, you can use HyreSnap Online Resume Builder powered with AI technology. It will help you craft a technically sound resume in easy steps. Below are some features you will encounter while using our free resume builder:
Features of HyreSnap Resume Builder:
AI job board
24X7 chat support
10+ customizable resume templates
AI job matcher
AI resume score
Action words assistance
We have listed every essential step to add extracurricular activities in resume professionally.
Below you can have a quick review of everything mentioned above if you missed anything:
Key Takeaways
Make a separate section to list all your extracurricular activities in resume
Choose relevant activities to add based on your selected job profile
Be concise and use bullet points to add your extracurricular activities
Highlight your accomplishments and authenticate them with numbers
Order your activities by importance based on your applied job
Apart from this, you can contact our career experts if you need additional career assistance. We are 24X available at contact@hyresnap.com to help you get your desired job in 2023.
Try Now for Free!
