It’s no secret: grades matter and striving for personal academic excellence is the job of every student. But it’s important for individuals to develop outside the classroom too. Parents often begin this process, registering their young children for activities such as tiny-tot dance classes, town sports teams, and Lego clubs. As they grow, it’s up to those kids to continue participating in extracurriculars — in part to create well-rounded applications that meet the expectations of college admissions teams, but more important, to develop the all-important soft skills that are only learned through experience.
What Is an Extracurricular?
Some students worry that they have no extracurricular activities because they don’t play a sport or perform with the theater and jazz ensemble. If that’s you, think beyond the traditional, school-sponsored offerings. How do you spend a significant amount of time outside the classroom? Many tradition extracurriculars are school-based: sports, theater, and clubs. Involvement on a sports team provides a great example your ability to work as part of a team and your interest in self-improvement. Performing shows a desire to step outside your comfort zone and take on a challenge. If you’re on the production side of theater, you’ve learned project management and communication skills.
But not every extracurricular occurs at school. Nearly any activity that has a particular purpose can be considered as an extracurricular, from knitting to help caring for family members or taking on shifts in a family business. Consider how you spend your time — and what the time means to you. Twelve hours a week practicing in a dance studio shows discipline, teamwork, and a desire to improve. If you also help younger dancers while you’re there, you’re growing as leader. A weekly volunteer shift at the food pantry exhibits compassion and concern for your local community, while also helping you develop organization and people skills as you stock shelves and interact with clients. Don’t discount your time and involvement outside the confines of your school’s grounds.
High School and Beyond
While so much emphasis on extracurriculars is place on high school students and their quest for a solid college application, seeking outside activities is important at every stage of life. In addition to being fun outlets, extracurriculars can help you meet new people (network) and learn new skills. In short, they help you grow personally and professionally.
Employers are interested in hiring well-rounded people who have the right mix of skills. In fact, soft skills, such as teamwork, problem-solving, accountability, and interpersonal skills, along with non-academic achievement have been cited as keys to advancing past the first round of the professional recruitment process. To that end, it’s important to include activities on your resume, especially if they’re relevant to the position you’re seeking.
Showcasing your outside interests reveals initiative to find an participate in a variety of enriching experiences. For example, time spent volunteering shows a prospective employer that you are willing to focus your time and work hard for a good cause. It also implies a likelihood that you are compassionate to others’ feelings, which is important to employers trying to nurture a healthy work environment. Providing these details will help set you apart from other applicants and allow an employer get a sense of who you are.
Regardless of age, the intrinsic value of extracurriculars is undeniable. They promote community as you engage with new people. They help develop soft skills, which can be used in all aspects of life. And they create outlets from the more structured portion of your life — school, and work as you grow older — creating a more well-rounded you. So see what’s out there and get involved. You won’t regret it.
Career Corner
Exploring STEM Professions
To help you on your journey to determine a career pathway, each month we'll highlight one STEM profession and how you might use that career to support and build your tribal community after earning your degree. Many career paths are worth exploring — even those you've never heard about. Keep an open mind as you learn about various options within STEM, and discover your path to opportunity.
Materials Engineer
Materials science and engineering majors often focus on a specific sub-discipline, such as plastics, electrical materials, metals, ceramics, or biomaterials. Coursework will include physics and a lot of advanced chemistry. Materials scientists are needed in diverse industries, which means their careers can span from computer manufacturing and automotive sectors to the military.
What they do:
Materials engineers evaluate materials and develop machinery and processes to manufacture materials for products that must meet specialized design and performance specifications. They create new uses for known materials. These engineers also work with composite materials, typically specializing in one type of material, such as graphite, metal and metal alloys, ceramics and glass, plastics and polymers, and naturally occurring materials. Different types of materials engineers include metallurgical engineers, ceramic engineers, and welding engineers.
A person in this career:
• Reviews product plans and makes recommendations for material selection based on design objectives such as strength, weight, heat resistance, electrical conductivity, and cost.
• Supervises the work of technologists, technicians, and other engineers and scientists.
• Analyzes product failure data and laboratory test results to determine the causes of problems and develop solutions.
• Conducts or supervises tests on raw materials or finished products to ensure their quality.
• Plans and implements laboratory operations to develop material and fabrication procedures that meet cost, product specification, and performance standards.
• Designs and directs the testing or control of processing procedures.
• Monitors material performance and evaluates material deterioration.
• Performs managerial functions, such as preparing proposals and budgets, analyzing labor costs, and writing reports.
• Plans and evaluates new projects, consulting with other engineers and corporate executives as necessary.
• Guides technical staff in developing materials for specific uses in projected products or devices.
How can I use this type of career to help my community?
Support the economic development of your tribal nation by developing materials for tribal community purposes or global production of materials or devices.
For more about STEM careers, check out the AISES College and Career Guide.
