In Malaysia, the term “extra curriculum” is infamous especially during the primary and secondary schooling period. It refers to almost any activities outside of studying.
Oftentimes, fresh graduates have little to no working experience. The extracurricular section on resume could be crucial to secure their employment, especially if the extracurricular activities are highly relevant to the positions they are applying for.
Need help on creating the extracurricular section on resume? Here are the best tips and examples for you to strengthen your resume for jobs in Malaysia.
Extracurricular Section on Resume Best Tips
Extracurricular section: Placement
It depends. If you are like most fresh graduates who lack work experience, then extracurricular activities should be treated like work experiences, included in the work experience section.
You’d need to elaborate on how your extracurricular activities have prepared you for the position you are applying for. Put more emphasis on the skills that you developed and your accomplishments.
If you happen to already possess some work experience, your extracurricular activities can then be placed under your Education or Achievement section. They will not take away the spotlight of your work experience, while still being able to support you if needed.
Too many extracurricular experiences that are relevant to the job you’re applying for? You might consider creating an “Extracurricular” section to highlight them all.
Extracurricular section: Creation
Formatting wise, creating the Extracurricular section on resume is similar to writing actual work experience. You should include the name of the extracurricular team or organisation, your role and the time duration you were involved in the activity.
The extracurricular section on resume example:
Operations Executive
ABC University XYZ Club
February 2019 – November 2021
- Led weekly meetings with an average of 20 club committees and 50 club members
- Organise gaming and gathering sessions to strengthen the bond between members
- Collecting feedback on club meetings
Creating this section is no different from the work experience section. To save space, you should only include items that are relevant and measurable.
Extracurricular section: Description
Once you have created the format extracurricular section on resume, it’s time to elaborate more on what you have done and relate them to how you’re the perfect role for the position you’ve applied for.
Your descriptions must highlight how the experience you’ve gained in the activities will benefit the company you’re applying for. In other words, your value proposition. There are a few things to include.
- Quantifiable job descriptions
- Skills you’ve learned
- Achievements or awards
Instead of just including some boring job scopes, always quantify them to make them measurable so that your potential employers can better gauge your capability. Include some numbers and statistics to liven your job scopes.
When it comes to skills and achievements, always relate them to how you can perform well in your job. To do that, you’d first have to research the positions you’re applying for, then customise your descriptions by including relevant keywords that they are looking for.
Extracurricular section: Examples
The extracurricular section is meant to display certain skills that are transferable, such as leadership skills, management skills, or even foreign language fluency.
Here are some of the examples of the extracurricular activities you could include in your resume, and some of the skills to highlight in your resume:
1. Student Council – the connecting bridge between students and the school.
- Leadership skills
- Collaboration
- Communication skills
- Management skills
2. Clubs or Societies – leading and organising events for a group of students.
- Collaboration
- Organizational skills
- Fundraising
- Teamwork
3. Foreign Languages – learning new languages.
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Interpersonal skills
- Work ethic
4. Study Abroad Experience – study abroad during tertiary education.
- Foreign language
- Adaptability
- Thinking outside the box
- Communication
5. Sports Teams – participating in sports.
- Self-motivation
- Teamwork
- People skills
- Work ethic
6. Volunteer Activities – contributing your time to help people in need.
- Planning
- Time management
- Patience
- Compassion
Final Thoughts
Having the extracurricular section on resume could provide positive impressions to potential employers, especially if they are looking for transferable skills of the job seekers.
Now that you have a solid idea of how to create the extracurricular section, it’s time to better convince your future employers and land your dream job.
Preparing for your interviews is easier than ever before! Simply browse comprehensive career and interview guides on our Job Majestic Blog today.
