Do you count extra-curriculars as "work experience"?

[Jabb]

For example, if you were the head of a committee, organizing events, running meetings, etc - would you count that as work experience? What is an HR rep's point of view on this? If a position asks for 3+ years of experience and as a new grad, you have tops 12 months experience through school, but also held these positions in your extra curriculars, do they count towards the "3 years"?

[AirplaneKing]

For example, if you were the head of a committee, organizing events, running meetings, etc - would you count that as work experience? What is an HR rep's point of view on this? If a position asks for 3+ years of experience and as a new grad, you have tops 12 months experience through school, but also held these positions in your extra curriculars, do they count towards the "3 years"?

I don't have HR experience but I have been working with a lot of different people in hiring and recruiting and they've all told me that extracurriculars should fall under their own title (for a two page resume), or for a more condensed 1 pager they should fall under other activities (or a catch-all category of that effect).

Hope that helps. Again, this is just reiterated from the people in the industry that I've talked to.

[smolek]

It depends on what job posting. For different jobs I have done several things.

1) Make a category called "Relevant Experience"; in here list everything (work,volunteer, etc) and simply clarify what each is in the interview

2) Do the same as above but put in brackets after each job title (volunteer) if it is a volunteer position

3) Have a relevant employment experience and relevant volunteer experience section seperate. This only works if you have quite a bit of both.

Usually I go with number 1). Haven't had any problems so far.

[Jabb]

Thanks for the reply. To clarify my question, some postings require 3 years experience (or however many years). Would extra curriculars count towards that 3 years?

[smolek]

Thanks for the reply. To clarify my question, some postings require 3 years experience (or however many years). Would extra curriculars count towards that 3 years?
If you don't have the 3 years working experience, I would include my volunteer experience in those 3 years. As long as you don't purposely misrepresent yourself, well then what do you have to lose? Worst thing is they don't respond to you and you go on and find another (possibly better) job....

[FuD]

Ask yourself if chairing an executive meeting for a student club is the same as chairing an executive meeting for a large corporation... it's like saying you have 5 years experience racing go-karts, does that qualify you to drive F1-racers?

Ultimately it's up to you... a majority of resumes are full of little white lies anyways. But personally if I found out during an interview that the candidate's 3 years of 'real work experience' really involved organizing meetings for the breakfast club, I'd be pissed. Then again, I know nothing about hiring people so I might just be talking ****.

[red120]

Generally, I'd put it under a separate section.

If you have no experience for a job and apply for a 3-years required one and try to supplement with your 3 years of committee experience, it won't fly.

If you have two years working experience and do the same thing, you can probably swing it with some smooth, confident talking during the interview.

It depends on the scope of the extra curricular work too, of course.

[angekfire]

Ask yourself if chairing an executive meeting for a student club is the same as chairing an executive meeting for a large corporation... it's like saying you have 5 years experience racing go-karts, does that qualify you to drive F1-racers?

On the other hand, if you were say, a volunteer on the board of advisors for the "Make a Wish" foundation for 3 years, and were applying for a job doing the same thing, I think it would be relevent enough to at least count for something.