How to Feature Extra Curricular Activities in a CV (+10 Examples)

Meta Description

Struggling with extra curricular activities in your CV? Learn to strategically showcase your skills to impress recruiters and beat ATS scans. Get expert tips now!

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Introduction

Are you wondering if that university club presidency or weekend volunteer work is just "fluff" on your CV? You're not alone. Many job seekers undervalue their extra curricular activities, failing to see them as a goldmine of transferable skills. While others simply list them as an afterthought, this guide will show you how to strategically integrate them to make your CV stand out. We've analyzed the top-ranking articles and created a more comprehensive, actionable guide to turn your experiences into your competitive advantage.

Why Extra Curricular Activities in Your CV Are More Important Than Ever

In today's competitive job market, a bare-bones CV isn't enough. Hiring managers are looking for well-rounded candidates who demonstrate both hard skills and crucial soft skills. Extra curricular activities are the perfect way to prove you have them.

In fact, with over 98% of Fortune 500 companies using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter candidates, the right keywords in your activities section can significantly boost your visibility Forbes Report on ATS Usage. These systems don't just scan your work history; they scan your entire CV for relevant skills and experiences.

What Counts as an "Extra Curricular Activity"?

Before we dive into the "how," let's clarify the "what." An extra curricular activity is any pursuit you engage in outside of your formal academic or professional work.

This can include:

• Leadership Roles: President of the Debate Club, Team Captain, Project Lead for a community fundraiser.
• Volunteering: Working at a local shelter, organizing a charity event, mentoring younger students.
• Sports and Athletics: Participation in team sports or individual athletic pursuits.
• Creative Pursuits: Managing a personal blog, contributing to open-source projects, graphic design for a student newspaper.
• Clubs and Societies: Member of the Engineering Society, Chess Club, or a language group.

How to List Extra Curricular Activities: A Step-by-Step Guide

Simply listing an activity is not enough. You need to frame it as an achievement that demonstrates relevant skills.

1. Create a Dedicated Section: Unless you have extensive, highly relevant experience, create a clear section titled "Extra Curricular Activities," "Leadership & Activities," or "Volunteer Experience." Place it after your "Work Experience" section.
2. Analyze the Job Description: Identify the key skills the employer is looking for (e.g., "project management," "team collaboration," "communication").
3. Select the Most Relevant Activities: Choose 2-3 activities that best align with the skills identified in the job description. Quality over quantity is key.
4. Use the Action-Impact Formula: For each activity, describe your role and the quantifiable impact you made. Use strong action verbs.

Formula: Action Verb + What You Did = Quantifiable Result/Impact

Examples: Turning Activities into Achievements

Here’s how to transform a simple listing into a powerful statement. Notice how the "Good" examples use action verbs and focus on transferable skills.

Weak Example (Before)	Strong Example (After)	Skills Highlighted
Member of the Marketing Club	Co-led a team of 5 to develop and launch a social media campaign, increasing student engagement by 40% over one semester.	Leadership, Marketing, Teamwork
Soccer Team Player	Collaborated with 10+ teammates during daily practices and weekly games, developing strong communication and time management skills.	Collaboration, Discipline
Volunteered at Animal Shelter	Managed weekend adoption events, resulting in a 15% increase in animal placements and training 3 new volunteers.	Responsibility, Training, Event Management

More Examples for Your CV:

• Bad: Debate Club
• Good: Researched and constructed arguments for weekly debates on complex topics, enhancing public speaking and critical thinking skills.
• Bad: Wrote for the student newspaper.
• Good: Authored 5+ articles on campus life, adhering to strict deadlines and AP style guidelines, reaching a readership of 2,000 students.
• Bad: Coding hobby.
• Good: Developed a personal expense tracking application using Python and Django, available on GitHub.

The "Do's and Don'ts" of Listing Activities

Bulleted List: Key Takeaways

• Do: Use strong action verbs to start each point.
• Do: Quantify your achievements with numbers and percentages whenever possible.
• Do: Tailor your selected activities to the specific job you are applying for.
• Don't: Include irrelevant or generic hobbies like "watching movies" or "reading."
• Don't: List activities from high school if you are a university graduate or have professional experience.
• Don't: Exaggerate your role or responsibilities.

Supercharge Your CV with JobSeekerTools

Feeling overwhelmed trying to tailor every part of your CV? JobSeekerTools can help. Our platform analyzes your CV against the job description, suggesting critical keywords and skills to include—not just in your job history, but in your extra curricular activities section too. Ensure your CV is optimized to impress both recruiters and the ATS.

Conclusion

Extra curricular activities are not just fillers; they are a strategic component of a winning CV. By carefully selecting relevant activities, framing them as achievements, and quantifying your impact, you provide concrete proof of the soft and hard skills that employers desperately need. This approach transforms your experiences from a simple list into a compelling narrative of your potential.

Key Resources

5 Steps to Powerfully Present Your Extra Curricular Activities in a CV

This guide outlines a 5-step process for effectively showcasing your extra-curricular activities on a CV.

1. Create a Dedicated Section

• Create a specific section in your CV for extracurricular activities to make them stand out.
• Common titles for this section include "Extracurricular Activities", "Leadership Experience", or "Projects and Activities".

2. Analyze the Job Description for Key Skills

• Carefully read the job description to identify the skills and competencies the employer is looking for.
• Look for keywords related to teamwork, leadership, communication, problem-solving, and other soft skills.

3. Select Relevant Activities

• Choose activities that best demonstrate the skills you identified in the job description.
• Don't just list everything; be selective and highlight the most impactful experiences.

4. Use the Action-Impact Formula

• Describe your activities using a clear and concise formula: Action Verb + What you did + Impact/Result.
• For example, instead of saying "Member of the marketing club," you could say "Co-led a team of 5 to develop and execute a social media campaign that increased student engagement by 25%."

5. Quantify Your Achievements

• Whenever possible, use numbers and data to quantify your accomplishments.
• This provides concrete evidence of your skills and impact.
• Examples include: "Organized a charity event that raised over $2,000," or "Mentored 10 junior members, leading to a 15% improvement in their project completion rates."

An infographic showing the 5-step process for listing extra curricular activities in a CV, from analyzing the job description to quantifying impact.

From 'Meh' to 'Hired': Good vs. Bad Examples of CV Activities.

This chart contrasts weak and strong examples of how to describe extra-curricular activities on a CV. It shows 'before' and 'after' examples for common activities, highlighting how to use action verbs and quantify impact to demonstrate skills.

1. Marketing Club Member

Bad Example:

• Member of the marketing club.

Good Example:

• Co-led a team of 5 to develop and execute a social media campaign that increased student engagement by 25%.

2. Soccer Team

Bad Example:

• Played on the university soccer team.

Good Example:

• Collaborated with a team of 15 players to achieve a top 3 league ranking, demonstrating strong teamwork and dedication through 10+ hours of weekly training.

3. Volunteering

Bad Example:

• Volunteered at the local animal shelter.

Good Example:

• Organized a fundraising drive that collected over 500 pounds of supplies for the local animal shelter, improving animal welfare and community engagement.

A comparison chart showing weak vs. strong examples of how to describe extra curricular activities in a CV for maximum impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Should I include hobbies in my extra curricular activities section? Only if the hobby is relevant and demonstrates skills pertinent to the job. For example, a personal coding project is great for a software engineering role, but a general interest in "hiking" is likely irrelevant unless applying for a role in the outdoor industry.

2. Where is the best place to put extra curricular activities on a CV? For most job seekers, the best place is in a dedicated section after your professional experience. If you are a recent graduate with limited work experience, you can place it after your education section to highlight your skills and initiative.

3. How far back should I go with my activities? Stick to activities from your university years or recent past. Unless it was a truly exceptional and relevant achievement (e.g., achieving a national ranking in a sport), avoid including anything from high school.