Importance of Extracurricular Activities in Career Development

It is a known fact that if you just have a good academic background, it may not be enough to secure a job. So, what can be the solution for this? It is extracurricular activities. Research from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the National Research Council (U.S.) shows that participating in extracurricular activities, sports, help students in evaluating their engagement and emotional attachment at school and its main motivation is to improve their career prospects.

What does extracurricular activities exactly mean?

Extracurricular activities or extra academic activities are those that take place outside the domain of the normal tasks of school or university education. These give an opportunity to explore yourself apart from the academics.

Why extracurricular activities considered important in career development?

Today employers demand more than just your academic performance. They are in search of employees who don't just hold theoretical knowledge. You need to show your soft skills and social potential to be in the good books of the interviewer. Activities other than scholastic tasks can land you a good career.

Extracurricular activities play a vital role in your life. They can help you become mature and develop your soft skills. They introduce you to the real world and make you familiar with their modalities. You can also be able to analyze the areas of your interest, related skills, and creative abilities. These soft skills can be handy in your careers. The knowledge obtained from extra academic activities will add extra points to your resume.

There are many non-academic activities that can be attractive and beneficial when your career actually starts. Some of them are listed below.

1. Community service:

Community Service

Eager about the happenings in the society? Indulging in community service will help you have a chance to be a part of the community and serve the people around you. Helping the needy can give self-satisfaction and make a special bond with them. You will become aware of your social and civic responsibilities. Your communication and networking skills will improve. And by adding community service in your resumes, you can earn valuable points.

2. Event management:

Event Management

There are certain groups in colleges and universities you can easily join as per your interest. Based on your interest of extracurricular activities, you can join Fund Raising committee, Leadership Awards, Exhibitions, Community Projects, etc. Joining any one of these activities, will help in enhancing soft skills. You can also get real-life experience of handling a project. By planning activities or events in your college, you can learn the importance of time management and how to work with people having different mind-sets.

3. Sports:

Sports

Participating in sports is a good way to stay physically and mentally fit. Pick any sport of your interestand try to excel in it. Doing so will help you develop competitive spirit and you can also learn a couple of things about teamwork, if the sport you have taken involves more than one person. If you are taking sport in which your individual performance matters such as swimming, archery, etc., it will also help you assess your strength. Since sport will keep you in good health and infuse in you competitive spirit, you will surely get advantage in your career.

4. Part time jobs:

Part-Time Jobs

Taking a part-time is the best way to be self-reliant and take some away burden off your parents' shoulders. By working on a part-time job, you will also know how hard it is to earn and meet expenses on your own. This kind of life-lesson will surely help you at the professional front. Moreover, working at any establishment, you can also learn to work with people and develop a habit of working.

Not just the academic skills, but other skills matter a lot when you come out of your college/university and start searching a job. By taking interest in any extracurricular activity, you can indirectly lay a foundation to build your career on.