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Adding extracurricular activities to your CV can show employers your interests and your individuality. It will help employers and recruiters know that you have a range of skills that you apply to many situations. It can sometimes also help in an interview situation, if you play cricket, football, do park runs or have a passion for rowing (to name a few), your interviewer may talk to you about your interest to help you feel at ease.
We know it can be difficult to choose what to put into your CV, so we have provided some helpful explanations and examples for you to use!
Playing a sport can demonstrate many of your skills, from teamwork to dedication and drive. It doesn't matter whether it is at a local team or event, from school or just a group of friends getting together and playing in local leagues or if you do a sport independently like swimming, running or cycling. It's a great way to make your skills, interests and abilities stand out. You may even volunteer at weekends or help out younger children with coaching.
Make sure that you do link the sport back to the role that you're applying to. For example, you could explain how your competitive nature would make you thrive in a sales environment. If you're not able to relate it back to the job you're applying for, it may not benefit you very much.
Whether you are bilingual or you have a passion for learning languages, make sure that you discuss it on your CV. Not only does speaking another language widen your choices to opportunities such as translating, but there are also other ways that it can strengthen your CV or give you the job over another candidate.
If you're learnt a language, the dedication and enthusiasm required will undoubtedly stand out to recruiters. Furthermore, many organisations operate internationally or have clients that operate within many countries. If you're able to understand a language in one of the operating countries, it will make your application stand out!
Mentoring, fundraising or volunteering are all great ways you can show how you contribute to society. Whether it be mentoring another student at your school, college or university, raising sponsorship to take part in a charitable event, volunteering at a local charity shop or event, such as a park run, or festival.
You'll be demonstrating your communication skills, resourcefulness, and willingness to help others. All of which are attractive personal attributes to an employer and the type of person they would want to employ.
Talking about how you were a prefect, student rep or something similar will immediately put you in a positive light to employers. That's because it means that your teachers, school, college or university trusted you to put you in a position of responsibility and you were happy to help out more so than some of your peers.
You'll be demonstrating your responsibility, communication skills as well as approachable nature. Make sure in your CV or interview you talk about what you had to do, whether that was attending student rep meetings, helping out on reception at lunch or taking prospective students round your institution.
There are lots of other things that you can add to your CV that you may have done while at school, college or university so think about adding them. Just remember, try your best to relate it back to the role you're applying for and bear in mind you'll want to be considered a serious candidate. So, don't start talking about how you socialise with friends every night, keep more along the lines of debate club, student newspapers, sports, volunteering and arts and crafts.
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