15 Mar Why & How to Land Leadership Positions in Extracurricular Activities

Your involvement in extracurricular activities plays a significant role in your personal development and in your college application. This spring, consider pursuing leadership positions in your favorite extracurricular activities. As a leader, you’ll gain invaluable skills and stand out among other college applicants.

Why Become a Leader

With leadership on your resume, you demonstrate that you take initiative, know how to accomplish goals, and have what it takes to succeed in your future career. Colleges like to train and invest in individuals who are capable of making significant and meaningful impacts in the world. Leadership skills help you excel in the workforce, too. And leadership experience can supplement your GPA, SAT scores, and essay. For these reasons, pursue leadership positions in high school.

How to Become a Leader

Leadership positions can include club officer, board member, project manager, or sports team captain. In these positions, you guide your teammates and help make decisions for the club.

You also lead when you impact, motivate and guide others. Whether you welcome new club members, plan events or organize a fundraiser, the key is to show measurable accomplishments and demonstrate the impact you are capable of achieving. Examples of measurable impacts include helping your team earn a competitive championship, growing the club with 20 recruits, or raising $5,000 for a charity.

To become a leader in your favorite extracurricular activities, take several steps.

1. Actively participate in the club, sport, or organization. Show up for meetings, prepare the meeting room, sign up for events, and keep your commitments. By actively participating, you learn the ins and outs of the club and become familiar with operations, which you’ll need to know in order to lead the group.

2. Build relationships. Get to know other club or team members, make friends and help your peers achieve goals. As you build relationships and prioritize people, you give others a reason to elect you into a leadership position.

3. Start a new project that matters to you. Suggest a charitable event or community project, then chair the activity. Measure the impact and add this leadership activity to your resume.

4. Pursue small leadership roles. Before you can earn big leadership positions, prove your worth and capabilities in small arenas. Sign up to mentor new members or chair a small event, and do your best in this position or volunteer.

5. Engage in related activities. Find ways to be involved as a leader in your favorite extracurricular activity outside of club meetings or sports meets. For example, if you’re a drama club member, host a fundraiser for the youth acting club, give acting lessons and volunteer your talent for charitable events.

6. Serve with humility. Cultivate a caring, thoughtful, and helpful character as you put your club and teammates first. As you humbly participate and serve, you become a positive influence and earn the right to lead.

This spring, look for ways to become a leader. You’ll gain invaluable personal skills and boost your college application.

Contact Accolade Financial

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