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Extra-curricular activities to boost your personal statement or CV
Your teenage years can be consumed by getting the grades for work or University. But it doesn’t all have to be about studying! Taking part in extra-curricular activities breaks up the school week and allows you to add skills to your CV. This will show how gifted and talented you are to future schools and employers.
The GT Scholars programme knows this, which is why we love providing our skill-building days and encouraging you to develop transferrable skills in leadership, time management and working as a team. But if you’re looking for even more ways to boost your personal statement or CV, here are five examples of extra-curricular activities that employers love!
Language activities
Travel is more affordable than ever, and many companies work internationally, which makes language skills hugely appealing to prospective employers.
As for adding language skills to your personal statement, what’s more, impressive than showing Universities that you personally managed your time and studies to learn another language?
Sports
Sports are a great way to boost your personal statement or CV and are often fun ways to hang out with friends. Why do they look so good? Engaging in sports outside of school shows your ability to work as a team, motivate yourself to improve and be reliable enough to attend training sessions.
Volunteering
Showing that you are willing to use your free time to help others and be depended on not only reflects your innate interest in the welfare of others but can also offer a wide range of skills in business and events. Volunteering in the community could give you valuable experience in anything from managing others, teamwork, money-handling, communication and event organisation.
Tutoring
Acting as a private tutor to those younger than you imply strong leadership and support skills. Tutoring others in school subjects also helps you understand those subjects better, which will then come across in your confidence in that subject as well as showcasing your ability to coach others and work for a shared goal rather than just a personal one.
Creative experience
With so much emphasis on grades in school, you can forget to spend time being creative. But employees and Universities love to see time spent on creative activities! Whether making and selling arts and crafts, producing short videos for Youtube with friends or writing for a student website, each activity showcases different skills. For example, it shows your ability to take the initiative, think outside the box and present valuable skills in business and IT.
A simple example was my years at Secondary school when I decided to make tote bags out of leftover fabric and sold them through a Facebook page. Straight away, I could add business and online marketing experience to my personal statement for University!
So those are the five extra-curricular activities that look good for University or your CV. And the best part is that you can have a great time with friends with similar interests!
The GT Scholars Programme is an after-school programme for young people aged 11-16. Scholars receive support through tutoring, mentoring, enrichment and skill-building activities designed to improve their grades at school, help them get into top universities and help them enter competitive careers.
To learn more about the GT Scholars Programme, you can arrange a consultation with a member of our team; click here.
Katie Dawes has a BSc in Psychology from Sussex University and a background interest in motivational psychology. She writes about growth mindset, self-leadership and motivation for teens. Katie also enjoys travelling the world and runs a travel blog.
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