How Extracurricular Activities Influence the Success of Peoples Career

¶ … extracurricular activities encompass the activities that students take part in, which are not constituted in the sphere of normal curriculum of the schools. These activities are perceived in all school levels. Extracurricular activities (ECA) include different activities, such as clubs, sports, art, music, drama and even the school student newspaper (Massoni, 2011). The purpose of this paper is to highlight the positive impacts of ECA on the eventual career prospects of the students and their level of success through different literature reviews.

Research shows the level of participation in extracurricular activities is significant to companies. This is for the reason that, participation in these activities signifies potential soft-skill capabilities and proficiencies, such as leadership skills, organizing skills, social and relational skills and cooperation. Ming Chia (2005) examines the impacts of emotional intelligence, extracurricular activities and academic performance with respect to prospective accounting-major graduates on the results of their individual cross-examining activities and the number of ultimate job proposals handed by the multinational Big 5 public accounting firms.

Outcomes of the study showed that the number of preliminary job interviews is influenced by the academic performance of the graduate, together with his or her level of participation in extracurricular activities. Therefore, this is indicative that extracurricular activities have significance in the searching process of a job as it increases the job placement of the graduates (Min Chia, 2005). Success in the careers of graduates is influenced by the quality of the educational learning setting, the learning practices, and the learning outcomes.

Vermeulen & Schmidt (2008) studied the relationship between these factors and the career success of 3,324 graduates through structural modeling. The outcomes of the study were suggestive of having an indirect impact of university education on career success. For instance, the educational setting enhances the motivation of students, which, as a result, enhances their learning results. These learning results indicate a substantial association with success in the starting stage of the careers of the graduates.

In addition, success in the succeeding stages of an individual's career is impacted by the experience attained by students in the course of their involvement in extra-curricular activities. As a result, in accordance to Vermeulen & Schmidt (2008), it is contended that the learning setting is vital for students' learning in addition to their participation in extra-curricular activities, and that these two features of university schooling are contributing factors to career success (Vermeulen & Schmidt, 2008).

Extracurricular activities serve the equivalent purpose and objective as the obligatory and non-compulsory courses in the curriculum. Nevertheless, they offer experiences that are not encompassed in official sequences of study. They permit students to make use of the knowledge that they have attained in other classes and obtain conceptions of independent life (Massoni, 2011). When students make a decision as to which extracurricular activity they wish to join, they seek one that is of interest to them and one they delight in.

This is an aspect that can be beneficial to college students in finding their career. Taking part in a particular extracurricular activity that is relative to the career field the college student is interested in could assist them in attaining a job. If an employer is looking at a resume for a prospective hire, and they notice that they have experience or are vested in what they are seeking, they will have.