Tuesday, 16 April 2013

Extra Curricular Activities Add an Extra Edge to the RESUME


Presently, recruitment is becoming a very complicated process. Though resume is a point of contact between a potential candidate and recruiter, with the huge number of resumes received by the HR department it is quite likely that they may not go through every resume in detail. Resumes appearing professional with correct formatting as well as stating detailed version of candidate’s qualifications may not attract attention of the HR. The quality of a resume is considered good only when it states approach of a candidate towards work as well as the ability of a candidate to comprehend the broader work implications.
Extra-Curricular Activities Ignite the Spark Within

Extra-curricular activities besides work experience and academic details add an edge to the candidate’s resume in comparison to his peers. Most HR managers would agree to the fact that extra-curricular activities such as arts, debates, music, sports and social work play an important role during a candidate’s interview.  Experience and knowledge one gains from extra-curricular activities is very valuable. For instance, someone who has organized a festival in his own college will possess the abilities and experience to manage an event. As a result, an event management company may look forward to utilize his knowledge as well as experience and the probability of him getting the job in comparison to other contemporaries may become higher. A candidate with a short work experience in a NGO may interest a HR manager since organizations mostly select people who are quite active socially as well as quite interactive.

Extra-curricular activities highlight candidate’s qualities and more preference is given to the candidates engaged in extra-curricular rather than a candidate with negligible experience and knowledge of these activities. The resume of a candidate that states no experience in extra-curricular activities is considered almost invaluable. Extra-curricular activities inculcate qualities such as leadership, adaptability, self awareness and team work. It reflects a person’s abilities to face challenges and achieve success.
Extra-Curricular Activities and Jobs

The function of the job becomes the basic feature for selection of a prospective employee. The experience in an extra-curricular activities works as a efficient hiring tool during selection. For example – A sales driven organization would want candidates who are extrovert, vivacious, aggressive as well as possess good communication skills. Such qualities can be analyzed from the level of participation of the candidate in extra-curricular activities. Secondary skills developed by engaging in extra-curricular activities enable the candidates to develop relations within the organization and help them to become successful managers as these candidates have made a conscious effort to do something different and achieve greater goals. A person with an excellent extra-curricular activities and academic background possess leadership and managerial capabilities.

Presently, unconventional methods are being adopted by the hiring managers to identify talent. Though, mentioning extra-curricular activities in one’s resume may or may not help a person to get a top level job, it certainly helps fresh graduates to enter in the corporate world. The experience gained in such activities work in favor of the fresh pass outs and sets them apart from other students. The candidate or students initial impression is certainly formed in a positive manner on the prospective employers. So don’t forget to mention extracurricular activities in your resume!!

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