10 Examples of Extracurricular Activities for Your Resume

Including extracurricular activities on your resume can be a great way to show employers what you’re passionate about and highlight transferable skills. But they’re not always appropriate for every job application.

In this article, we cover when to include extracurriculars on your resume and which ones impress the most (according to hiring managers). We also cover the same topic in our podcast episode:

Should I include extracurricular activities on my resume?

If you’re a young job seeker who lacks relevant work experience, you can round out your resume by listing extracurricular activities that showcase your skills. It’s a great way to prove you’re capable — especially if you were active in school.

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Our Expert:

Eva Chan

On the other hand, you don’t need to list extracurricular activities if you already have work experience, or if you graduated several years ago. And, avoid listing activities that:

• Conflict with the company’s culture or values
• May be considered dangerous or violent
• Reveal personal information (such as political or religious affiliations)
• Are completely unrelated to the position you’re applying for

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Here are 10 of the best extracurricular activities you can put on your resume in 2025 to improve your chances of getting a job:

1. Student government

Highlighting your participation in student government on your resume is a great way to emphasize in-demand transferable skills like leadership, organization, and communication.

If you were part of student government in high school or college, fit that experience into your resume and emphasize the skills that are relevant for the job you’re applying for.

Professional skills related to student government

• Leadership skills
• Collaboration
• Communication skills
• Public speaking
• Presentation skills
• Mediation

2. Club executive

Just like student government, experience as a leader of a student club can prove your ability to be a leader, organize events, and manage logistics.

If you have a good track record as a club executive, highlight this extracurricular activity in your resume to show hiring managers you have what it takes to succeed in the workplace. When listing your club leadership experience, focus on showing your ability to delegate tasks and collaborate on a team.

Professional skills related to club executive experience

• Leadership
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Organizational skills
• Fundraising
• Teamwork skills
• Team building
• Computer skills

3. Foreign language

Knowledge of certain languages can earn you a better starting salary, but even if you don’t speak one of the most in-demand languages, language skills are always a great addition to your resume.

As an extracurricular activity, participating in language clubs and teaching yourself a foreign language can add even more value to your resume by showing that you’re hardworking, have a sharp mind, and are eager to expand your worldview.

Professional skills related to foreign language study

• Communication
• Critical thinking skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Work ethic
• Adaptability

4. Arts

Practicing arts like music, visual arts, dance, or theater develops patience, diligence, and an eye for detail. And, performing on stage can help you develop skills like consistent hard work, stage presence, and working under pressure, which can easily be transferred to your career.

Job related to the arts

• Creativity
• Attention to Detail
• Work ethic
• Presentation skills
• Public speaking
• Working under pressure
• Determination

5. Sports

Your experience playing sports can show employers that you’re self motivated, reliable, and hardworking.

If you played a team sport, you can use your experience to demonstrate your teamwork and people skills. And, if you played an individual sport, listing it on your resume can highlight your independence and resilience.

Professional skills you develop as an athlete

• Self-motivation
• Teamwork
• People skills
• Work ethic
• Reliability
• Quick thinking

6. Sorority / fraternity

Members of fraternities and sororities run fundraisers for charities, participate in community service, and lead campus events at their universities, and these experiences help develop transferable skills like delegation, diplomacy, and teamwork.

So, if you were active in Greek Life, list sorority or fraternity experience on your resume.

Job-relevant skills you work on as a member of Greek life

• Collaboration
• Interpersonal skills
• Leadership
• Organization
• Problem solving
• Networking

7. Resident advisor

If you worked as a resident advisor at your university’s dorms, you should list it in the work experience section of your resume.

Include bullet points that demonstrate how you maintained order, kept students safe, and followed university policies. Additionally, show how you developed and used soft skills like conflict resolution and multitasking skills.

Key skills you learn as an RA

• Conflict management
• Communication
• Organization
• Time management
• Multitasking
• Dependability
• Leadership

8. Work study

If you took advantage of a work study opportunity during college, you should definitely include it on your resume.

Working while studying for your degree shows employers that you have good time management, determination, and independence. List what you achieved and how you made an impact in a way that demonstrates the skills you developed.

Skills you improve while studying and working simultaneously

• Time management
• Multitasking
• Independence
• Problem solving
• Motivation
• Resilience
• Technical skills (if applicable)

9. Volunteer work

Volunteering shows employers you’re willing to contribute your own time to help other people and your community, so list all of your volunteer work experience on your resume.

List any regular or long-term volunteer experience in your work experience section, stating your responsibilities and accomplishments, as well as the skills you developed.

Skills you build as a volunteer

• Leadership
• Communication
• Planning
• Time management
• Mentoring
• Patience
• Compassion
• Customer service skills

10. Study abroad experience

Studying abroad can demonstrate your ability to adapt to new environments and communicate cross-culturally, so include study abroad on your resume in the education section.

And, if you improved your foreign language skills while studying abroad, list that in your resume skills section as well.

Job skills picked up while studying abroad

• Foreign language
• Adaptability
• Thinking outside the box
• Communication
• Patience
• Independence
• Intercultural communication

How to put extracurricular activities on your resume

Now that you know how extracurricular activities can strengthen your resume, it’s time to choose which part of your resume to list them in.

Where you choose to highlight your extracurricular activities depends on how much you want to emphasize them, and how relevant they are to the job you want.

1. Highlight them in your “Work Experience” section

If your extracurricular activities are directly relevant to the job you’re applying for, list them as work experience on your resume.

Here’s what volunteer experience looks like in a resume’s work experience section:

Volunteer Experience
UCLA VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA) | Los Angeles, CA
Volunteer Tax Preparer, September 20XX – Present

• Assisted hundreds of people from marginalized communities each year in navigating federal and state tax filings, providing personalized support to ensure access to refunds
• Developed training materials for 200 student volunteers annually
• Coordinated team-building activities to strengthen collaboration and teamwork, managing an annual budget of up to $7,000

2. Include them in your “Education” section

If the extracurricular activity you want to put on your resume is related to your degree, mention it in your resume’s education section.

Even if you don’t include many details about it on your resume, it’ll intrigue hiring managers and you can explain the activity more fully during your interview.

Here’s a good example an extracurricular activity listed in the education section of a resume:

EDUCATION
University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design | Expected Graduation Date: May 20XX

Accounting Club Vice President

3. Put them in an “Achievement” section

If the extracurricular activity you want to include on your resume involves one or more specific accomplishments, create an achievements section.

You can place this section anywhere on your resume. However, it’s best placed under your work experience section (if your achievements are related to your professional skills), or under your education section (if it’s more school-related).

ACHIEVEMENTS
Club Exec. of the Year
UCLA – 20XX

Tau Sigma Honors Society
UCLA – 20XX

Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society
Westwood CC | 20XX

4. Fit them into your “Interests” section

If your extracurricular activities are important to who you are but not directly relevant to the job, place them in a separate interests section on your resume.

It may surprise you to learn that hiring managers look for candidates with interesting personalities who they’d be happy working with. If your extracurricular activities make you a more interesting candidate, then adding them to your resume can increase your chances of impressing employers.

ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS

• University of Oregon Rowing Society
• Indian cooking
• Self-taught Mandarin Chinese speaker (HSK 4)

More resources

Check out this list of helpful resources and then choose a resume template tailored to job seekers looking to apply for entry-level positions:

Student & entry-level resume writing tips

Student & entry-level resume & cover letter examples