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What level of involvement do employers look for on resumes?

I am involved with a club that I will be taking a leadership role after my first year of involvement, but I feel like I need to be joining more clubs. How many different things should I be involved with to get hired? #resume-writing

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Lindsey’s Answer

Great question Hanah. I'm sorry it hasn't been answered yet! I thought I'd share a couple links to other relevant Q&A on CareerVillage.org that should be super helpful for you to read through in the meantime.


How can I make the best resume possible?

How to create a really good resume?

What's the most important thing to have on my resume?


I also wanted to chime in :)

The experiences you list on your resume have everything to do with the job(s) you're applying for. The leadership role you're taking on is great and, depending on how much experience you have, should probably be mentioned no matter what.

Lindsey recommends the following next steps:

Read this article on how to make your resume stand out: https://www.themuse.com/advice/20-basic-resume-writing-rules-thatll-put-you-ahead-of-the-competition
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Amanda’s Answer

Hannah, congratulations on the new role! Fortunately, there is plenty that you can add to your resume to make you stand out. Some additions you may want to consider are education (field of study & gpa), leadership roles on campus, volunteer work, summer internships, awards (dean's list, scholarships, and grants), research (thesis or lab work conducted with professors), publications (scholarly magazine, newspaper, blogs), and skills (highlight that foreign language,public speaking and/or computer sciences course). You want to give employers a better sense of your interests and the causes that you are passionate about. Another way to do this is by providing a brief summary at the top of your resume. At a glance, employers will learn that you are studious, results driven, and open to learning from others.


Here is an example of a college resume that includes a brief summary:

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/college-student-resume-example-with-summary-2063121

More involvement on or off campus does not hurt, however employers will tell you the most important thing a student can do is maintain their GPA. Do not feel pressure to join multiple clubs and associations, if you are holding down one leadership role for a longer period of time. Hope that helps, happy resume-writing!

Amanda recommends the following next steps:

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/college-student-resume-example-with-summary-2063121
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Lisa’s Answer

I used to think it mattered how many clubs I was a part of and what roles I had in each. In the end, none of that mattered when I was considered for employment. Companies that hired me only cared about my work experience and in some cases, whether I had a degree.

Fast forward to when I started being the one to hire, same story. I have been on hundreds of interview panels over the years, and in my experience, the hiring managers were more interested in seeing work experience (interning counts), as well as communication style and quality of responses during the interview process.

Getting involved is fantastic, especially when it's something you're passionate about. I wouldn't worry about quantity of participation if I were you. If you want to also position yourself to be considered for a great job in the future, look at ways you can get involved with companies you admire or companies that are in the same industry of the companies you would like to be a part of.

Best of luck to you!
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Dale’s Answer

What I look for as an employer considering a candidate's roles in clubs are the amount of impact and engagement. One can be a member of a club yet not show up for any meetings or events. On the other hand, they could have the role of club president but not provide any leadership or exert any influence. For me, what you did, how you stood out, what was contributed, and the time and effort invested mean more than the title, and this quality of experience has more bearing than the quantity of clubs to which someone belonged. What a candidate makes of their experiences and opportunities is more important to me as a hiring manager than the amount of experiences and opportunities they had.
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Adam’s Answer

The truth is that information unrelated to education and work experience becomes extremely important for those entering the workforce or those who may have limited work experience. It is probably less important for experienced hires, but still something you want to thoughtfully address.
Community involvement, interests, etc. provides the prospective employer with valuable information as it relates to who you are. The truth is that many people spend just as much (if not more) time with colleagues as you do with your family and friends. As long as you have the foundational education required by the role, the next thing I think about is will this person fit in well with the team, and this section provides some insight into that.
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