30+ Extracurricular Activities for Your CV with Example

When building your CV, most people focus only on grades and experience. But there’s another section that can make you stand out your extracurricular activities.

Employers don’t just want qualifications; they want personality, initiative, and teamwork. Including the right extracurricular activities in your CV can show all three.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to write this section effectively, share extracurricular activities examples, and provide CV templates for 2026 perfect for students, freshers, and professionals who want to impress recruiters.

What Are Extracurricular Activities in a CV?

Extracurricular activities are pursuits outside of your academic coursework that demonstrate your skills, values, and interests. They include sports, volunteering, leadership roles, creative projects, and community involvement.

These activities help employers see the “real you” how you collaborate, solve problems, and manage your time beyond the classroom or workplace.

Benefits of listing extracurricular activities in a resume:

• Prove leadership and communication skills

• Show initiative and passion

• Highlight transferable abilities such as teamwork or organization

• Strengthen applications for internships or entry-level jobs

For freshers with limited professional experience, this section can be a game-changer.

Also Read:Good CV Examples for Your First Job

Why Extracurricular Activities Matter in a CV

In 2026 competitive job market, hiring managers look for more than degrees. They want emotional intelligence, adaptability, and collaboration qualities best demonstrated through extracurricular activities.

How they add value:

• Show transferable skills: Sports = teamwork, debating = communication, volunteering = empathy

• Build personality fit: Employers can gauge cultural fit

• Showcase leadership: Club presidents, team captains, or event organizers highlight accountability

• Demonstrate initiative: Extracurriculars show action, not just compliance

LinkedIn’s 2024 hiring report shows that 70% of recruiters consider extracurricular achievements important, especially for students and fresh graduates.

Where to Add Extracurricular Activities in a CV

For Students and Freshers:

Place extracurriculars right after Education or Skills to strengthen your profile. Use this section instead of “Work Experience” if you haven’t worked formally.

For Professionals:

Include extracurricular activities under Additional Information or Interests. Highlight achievements relevant to teamwork, creativity, or leadership.

Also Read:Resume Summary for Freshers with Best Examples

How to Write Extracurricular Activities in a CV

Step 1: Choose Relevant Activities

Select activities that match qualities relevant to the role:

• Marketing: event planning, public speaking, social media club

• IT: coding competitions, hackathons

• Teaching: mentoring, volunteering, tutoring

Step 2: Use a Clear Format

Format each activity like a professional experience entry:

Example:

President, Student Photography Club | 2023 – 2024
Organized three campus exhibitions and led a 10-member creative team.

Step 3: Use Action Verbs

Start each bullet with verbs like led, created, organized, participated, managed, designed, initiated.

Step 4: Quantify Achievements

Numbers make your results credible.

Example: Raised $1,500 for charity through a student-run fundraiser.

30+ Extracurricular Activities Examples for Your CV

Here’s a comprehensive list of 30 extracurricular activities you can include, grouped by the skills they demonstrate:

Leadership & Teamwork

• Student Council Member – Led school events and represented student interests

• Sports Team Captain – Managed team strategies and motivated teammates

• Debate Club Member – Competed in regional debates, improving public speaking

• Peer Tutor – Assisted classmates with academics

• Event Organizer – Planned and coordinated school or college events

Creativity & Innovation

• Drama Club Actor – Performed in plays, enhancing creativity

• Music Band Member – Performed at events and competitions

• Art Club Member – Exhibited artwork in school or local galleries

• School Newspaper Editor – Wrote and edited monthly publications

• School Magazine Designer – Created layouts and visuals for magazine

Academic & Skill-Based Activities

• Science Club Member – Conducted experiments and science fairs

• Coding Club Participant – Developed apps and collaborated on projects

• Math Club Competitor – Participated in competitions and quizzes

• Robotics Club Member – Built and programmed robots for competitions

• Language Club Member – Practiced foreign languages and cultural activities

Sports & Fitness

• Track & Field Athlete – Competed in running, jumping, and throwing events

• Swimming Team Member – Represented school in inter-school competitions

• Chess Club Member – Participated in tournaments and strategy sessions

• Sports Tournament Winner – Achieved recognition in competitions

• Yoga Club Member – Practiced and taught mindfulness and fitness exercises.

Community & Volunteering

• Volunteer at Local NGO – Assisted in community outreach programs

• Environmental Club Volunteer – Organized clean-up drives and awareness campaigns

• Community Fundraiser Volunteer – Raised funds for local charities

• Volunteer Tutor Online – Assisted students remotely with learning

• Drama Workshop Volunteer – Helped train students and organize rehearsals

Other Professional & Development Activities

• Cooking/Baking Club – Organized cooking competitions and events

• Photography Club Member – Captured events and created photo essays

• Writing Workshop Participant – Published short stories or poems

• Hackathon Participant – Developed projects under time constraints

• Entrepreneurship Club Member – Planned and executed start-up initiatives

Each of these activities builds soft skills employers value leadership, teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and initiative.

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Extracurricular Activities in Resume for Freshers

For freshers, adding extracurricular activities to your resume can showcase skills, initiative, and achievements, serving as a strong alternative to work experience.

Example 1 – Marketing Fresher CV

• Social Media Coordinator, College Fest 2024 – Managed campaigns, increasing engagement by 60%

• Member, Entrepreneurship Cell – Organized business idea competitions for 50+ participants

• Volunteer, Blood Donation Camp – Assisted in donor registration and awareness drives

Example 2 – Engineering Fresher CV

• Team Leader, Coding Hackathon 2023 – Developed a mobile app prototype, winning 2nd place

• Volunteer, Robotics Club – Mentored junior students in Arduino and Raspberry Pi projects

• Member, Tech Society – Hosted webinars on emerging AI technologies

Tips to Make Extracurricular Activities Stand Out

• Be selective: Choose 3–5 relevant activities

• Show transferable skills: Highlight leadership, organization, problem-solving

• Include achievements: Use measurable results

• Keep it professional: Avoid casual hobbies unless relevant

• Align with career goals: Highlight analytical or strategic competitions for finance roles

Mistakes to Avoid

• Listing too many minor or unrelated activities

• Forgetting dates or roles

• Writing vague descriptions like “Active participant in events”

• Including controversial topics (politics, religion)

• Copy-pasting generic lists authenticity matters

Sample CV Template with Extracurricular Activities Section

Name: Ali Raza
Email: ali.raza@gmail.com
Phone: +92 300 1234567
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aliraza

Career Objective:

Motivated business graduate passionate about marketing and event management. Skilled in social media promotion, teamwork, and leadership through diverse extracurricular experiences.

Education:

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) – Lahore School of Economics (2024)

Skills:

• Content Marketing & SEO

• Event Management

• Communication & Teamwork

Extracurricular Activities:

• President, Business Club (2023–2024) – Organized 3 college-level marketing contests with 100+ participants

• Volunteer, Green Pakistan Campaign – Coordinated tree-planting drives and awareness events

• Digital Lead, Annual Fest (2022) – Managed online publicity across social media platforms

Achievements:

• Awarded “Best Student Leader 2023”

• Represented university at national youth entrepreneurship summit

How to Link Extracurriculars to Job Skills

Why Extracurriculars Are Essential for Freshers in 2025

Experience gaps are normal for graduates, but extracurriculars show initiative, responsibility, and contribution. They make your CV dynamic, human, and full of potential exactly what recruiters want in 2025.

Conclusion

Your degree shows what you learned. Your extracurricular activities in CV show who you are.

Whether you led a club, volunteered for a cause, or managed events, these experiences build essential skills employers trust. Presented professionally, Sound CV can help turn a simple CV into a story of initiative and growth.