3 ways to include extracurricular activities in your job search

Including extracurricular programs during your job search can help you stand out and showcase your skills.

There are a range of community and leadership programs at UTS. These programs can expand your experience, help you make friends, support others and build your skills.

Here are 3 ways you can include these during your job search.

1. Your resume

You can include these types of programs on your resume generally under an ‘Extracurricular Activities’ section heading. Alternatively, some programs that involve volunteering can be included on your resume under a ‘Volunteer Experience’ section heading. Remember to provide context to industry who may not be familiar with these programs.

You can also include responsibility statements that provide an overview of your experience and incorporate skills you utilised.

According to the Australian Association of Graduate Employers, the top four skills employers assessed during graduate recruitment activities were:

• communication skills
• teamwork
• interpersonal skills
• resilience

When selecting skills to highlight, keep in mind the skills employers look for, as well as what skills are most relevant to your industry.

For example, if you were a Peer Networker your responsibility statements might be:

“Utilised strong communication skills to provide information and assistance to international and local students to improve their transition to university.”

Or:

“Worked effectively in a team to assist running orientation activities.”

2. Your LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn is a great place to build your network and connect with others that you meet through your experiences.

You can also add your experience to your LinkedIn profile.

You can add your volunteer experience to the Volunteer Experience section and other experiences can be added under the Education or Honors & Awards sections. Similar to your resume you can also include a description of your experience.

3. Answering interview questions

Having a bank of examples that you can draw on from a range of experiences can help you answer a range of interview questions.

To increase your bank of examples, reflect on your extracurricular experience and consider when you:

• improved a process
• developed a new initiative
• performed a task or delivered a project beyond expectations
• received a compliment from a supervisor
• developed a new skill
• faced a challenge your overcame.

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