Build your resume during college
“What’s in your resume?”
I feel very strongly that this is a question more students should be asking themselves. Especially with the economy being what it has been over the last several years and with there being such a large number of people, very well qualified people, out of work because the jobs just aren’t always there. The competition can be fierce when there are job openings in any given field and that’s where extra-curricular activities can come in handy, especially if you have little or no real world experience to speak of.
A couple of years ago I asked myself, “What’s in your resume?” and the answer was surprisingly, “very little.” I am what you call a non-traditional student, meaning, in my case, an older guy who is returning to school after many years of running my own business. I am originally from New York and had my own clothing brand which did well enough to sustain me for about 10 years. I moved to Arizona in 2006 and soon lost everything due to a personal tragedy.
I eventually found myself working in a call center contacting people for donations to help with political causes. This is very tough work in a bad economy, with lots of rejection, angry people on the other end of the phone, and not at all suited to my creative nature. One day after three years, I just stood up in my cubical and said out loud, “I can’t do this anymore.” That’s when reality set in. My resume had very little in it and was way out of date. There was certainly nothing in it that I could proudly bring to a prospective employer.
That’s when I decided to go back to school and get training in something that I could be passionate about, which turned out to be web development, graphic design and multimedia technology. I also felt that I really needed to do something that would distinguish me from the rest of the pack in resume/job interview situations and that’s why I got involved in extra-curricular activities. I mean big-time involved!
Overall it has been a great time, I learned a lot and gained experience that I can not only draw from for the rest of my life, but experience that employers really value as well. Whenever I am asked by students whether or not they should get involved in extra-curricular activities, I always tell them, “Go for it. You will get practical experience, build up great professional references, challenge yourself, have fun and grow in ways you may not even expect.”
