In high school, it seemed pretty easy to slide by without being involved with too many extracurricular activities. Of course, it would have helped with college admissions; however, I wasn’t too concerned about it at the time. 

Now that I am at Baylor, I have shortly come to realize that resumes are EVERYTHING. The workforce is consistently becoming more competitive, especially for young adults straight out of college. So, here are a few easy tips for building your resume in order to get that internship, job or grad school acceptance letter that you have been longing for:

1. Pick an internship or summer job that is relevant to your major (if possible). Luckily, I was offered the chance to apply for this internship with The Odyssey, as social media director and writer. My major is journalism (public relations) and The Odyssey has already confirmed my interest in this field. On top of that, this internship will look great on my resume when I am searching for jobs relevant to journalism. If you don’t find an internship right away, don’t be discouraged! Mine came to me unexpectedly and it’s already working out well.

2. If you can’t find a summer job, campus representative jobs are perfect! As a campus rep, you help a product get advertisement on your own school campus. I recently found a campus rep job for www.alistgreek.com and I instantly fell in love with it. It offers a great experience for any major. I have already gained communication, social media and networking skills through it. With mine specifically, I get discounts, my friends get discounts and I receive commission when people use my coupon code. The best part about it is that campus rep jobs are not labor intensive and almost any college student could keep one with no problem.

3. Take advantages of the resources provided by your sorority/fraternity. You are lucky enough to gain connections through your letters and your lifelong brother/sisterhoods, but it is most beneficial if you use the resources within your chapter to become involved. Whether it’s attending a philanthropy event or running for executive position, you are certain to gain experience, have fun and add to your resume.

4. Join OTHER clubs on campus – especially ones relevant to your major. However, join clubs that interest you. A well-rounded applicant is typically best in a competitive workforce. If you are pre-law, get involved in the pre-law fraternity. If you are journalism, join the journalist club. In college, there are endless opportunities to grow as an individual that will help you far into the future.

5. Start something of your own. Is there something that you are super passionate about? Could you start a club involving it? Most likely! Find a group of people who are interested in the same things as you and be proactive about it! This may be the most impressive and exciting thing to add to your resume.

My mom used to hound me about getting involved and now I am glad that I’m finally doing that. It’s never too late, and I promise you will regret missing opportunities after college is over. Take advantage of your resources and don’t waste your college experience! Remember, you can still have fun while helping your future self out when it comes to adding things to your resume.