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How important are clubs/extracurricular activities in comparison to coursework or internships??

Does joining clubs or extracurricular activities during your years as an undergraduate significantly impact your resume or chances at graduate school or is it better to keep that to a minimum and focus on getting work experience and taking a rigorous course load?? # #college #grad-school #graduate-school #veterinarian #vet-school #veterinary-school #application #resume #college-admissions #college-advice #job #internship

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Subject: Career question for you
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Ken’s Answer

The most important thing that you can do is to develop a clear career focus and do networking to access any career exposure opportunities related to that career area and also to take any courses that will help you to attain success in that area. Participating in such career exposure opportunities will assist you in developing career related networking relationships that will be of great help throughout your education and your career.


Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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Hanleigh’s Answer

Hi! I would recommend getting experience in both. Extracurricular activities show leadership on campus, as well as the ability to work on teams and with your peers. It also shows that you not only managed school, but you were managing to stay involved on campus and maximize on your college experience outside of your coursework. I also think internships are very valuable. Internships provide practical experience that is relevant to your goals. I understand that it can be difficult to do both, and if that is the case, I would recommend prioritizing gaining internship experience.
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Rachael’s Answer

Each option has it values. Clubs/extracurriculars are a great way to demonstrate leadership, teamwork, and showcase soft skills. They also provide opportunities for networking and offer balance to rigorous coursework. Similarly, coursework and internships/work experience showcase your technical skills, drive, and career focus. I wouldn't discount one to the other but attempt to maintain both if possible. Perhaps try to find a club/extracurricular that coincides to your course or could result in a possible internship or connection to an internship.

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Richard’s Answer

Most employers will care more about internships. Most graduate schools will care more about good grades in challenging courses.

However, joining clubs and extracurricular can help you make connections which may give you a leg up during the job application process.
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