What type of extracurricular activities should you participate in during uni? Programs/jobs that would help you in your future career. Also, should I do them in my second year etc?
Hi there, thanks for asking!!
I think the type of extracurricular activities you should do partly depend on your personality/what you enjoy and partly depend on your career and what would be beneficial.
Generally you should aim to commit to one or two clubs and societies that you’ll be in for at least a few years. It should be one that you can think of yourself participating in actively. Participation in many different clubs is okay, but if you don’t commit to them in anyway, it doesn’t help careers-wise.
If you can find a club that is directly related to your future career, that would be ideal. However, there are definitely a lot of clubs which are very large because they cater for a larger degree e.g. business/commerce-related clubs. It is really competitive to get into even subcommittees.
Another way you can stand out in those larger degrees would be to start your own club/society. Look for something that hasn’t been attempted yet, or to other universities for clubs that have been established, but just haven’t come to your university yet.
It’s also best if you can join a club that has a cause, whether that be charitable or careers-related. If the club actively does something that gives back to the community or enriches student experiences, it’s a really positive sign for employers, and you can use it in interviews to explain how it showcases your values.
It’s okay to join a club for fun as well, for example we have Mafia society that gets together weekly to play Mafia card game variants. It at least can show that you’re sociable and have general interpersonal skills.
It’s pretty straight forward, so that’s pretty much all you need to know. Don’t ever feel forced to join a club; you’ll just end up hating it if you need to go to weekly meets for something you don’t care about.
Hope that helps! ^__^
