Are extra curricular activities really extra? | Ayushi from IIM Indore

After months of educational trauma, umpteen mocks and a dreadful post-exam analysis,  came the month of January. ‘CAT Results out!’, popped a phone notification and with a great deal of apprehension I logged in to find a decent CAT percentile against my name.

With hopes held high, I started preparing for the next big thing called ‘WAT & PI’. I still remember our interview preparatory sessions where the faculty emphasized on the role played by extra-curricular activities in interview rooms and how this ‘hobby’ and ‘extra-curricular’ column gave nightmares to most students.

The "risky proposition"

While filling profile forms/resumes, the option majority subscribes to is listing ‘Reading’, ‘Dancing’ or ‘Painting’ as their hobbies. But that one word could be a risky proposition to make, as it’s likely to invite the interviewer to take an individual to uncharted territories. That might cost him/her the much prestigious IIM seat. And it’s precisely this time when one feels like rewinding and investing time in extra-curricular activities only to realize that they are too late in their endeavours.

Consequently, they’re dawned by the realization that they were unable to do justice to this enticing question that could’ve conveniently confirmed their admission to one of the top-notch B-schools of the country.

Another very common act people resort to in such times is presenting forged committee membership certificates and NGO associations. Well, this might help you enough in getting an interview call at the most. But the journey from there on will yet again be an uncertain one. Ultimately, the interviewer is not looking for the number of certificates and skills that are listed on the resume. They are instead looking for someone who has gotten their hands dirty. Remember it’s not the big jazzy names on your resume but your learnings and character that speak the convincing language.

The interviewer's perspective

This brings me to the point where I’d like to share my perspective towards extra-curricular activities. I believe the reason most interviewers ask an interviewee about their hobbies is simple: they give you a chance to jump into your comfort zone and then evaluate how effectively you’ve approached and excelled in the arena of your choice. That pretty much gives them an opportunity to measure your level of involvement, awareness, creativity and expertise in something that interests you.

Speaking of myself, I’ve been an active kid throughout my school and college days. I never had a strong hobby in place but I actively used to explore sports, art, dramatics and related activities. Be it the long stretches of playing badminton, mime practice sessions or some artistic painting competition, I’ve done them all. And guess what, I realized that none of them are meant for me.

But still I’m glad I did them because that’s when it struck me that I should keep exploring until I find my niche. Throughout the four years of Engineering, I engaged myself with various student clubs, committees and fests. I took up multi-faceted roles in Marketing, PR, Events, Business Development and what not.

My roller-coaster journey of exploration

Before I go ahead, I’d particularly like to mention my experience of working with an organization called AIESEC. It is till date, (post having 2 years of work experience & getting into a B-school) the best organization I’ve ever known or worked for. I was associated with AIESEC for 3 years while pursuing Engineering from PDPU, Gandhinagar. Few of the best leaders I’ve ever worked with are not from those MNCs but from AIESEC.

The kind of people I met, the kind of strong team experiences I’ve had and the kind of professionalism I developed during these AIESEC years are simply unmatchable. Personally, I’ve got a few close friends across the globe through AIESEC. And yes, I never got paid for anything I did but still, I worked with the organization for 3 years. That’s the strength of organizational culture. Even the Organizational Behavior sessions at B-school won’t be able to give you a flavour of.

Lastly, there’s something called ‘Networking’ which the MBA aspirants look forward to. But I suggest there’s no real need to wait for it until you enter a B-school. AIESEC on this front was fantastic. I could remotely work with a Bangalore based start-up sitting within the four walls of my hostel room in Gandhinagar. This was just because of the network and relations I built while being in AIESEC. So that was my AIESEC story for you.

"Be a better version of yourself"

Post Engineering, I started working with an Oil & Gas based company in Noida and that’s where I started creating Instagram content for my food blog. Well, you might be wondering whether I’m a foodie or a connoisseur. But let me tell you honestly, I’m none. After starting the blog I realized that exploring the world (travelling) and photography is my calling. That’s exactly how I ended up exploring myself and my passion.

I would like to share a little piece of advice to all those who’re yet in the process of finding themselves. Please do not opt for extra-curricular activities just for the sake of those resume points or interviews. Those are little dots in the broad story of your life. Take them up because you wish to be a better version of yourself.

This article was submitted as an entry to Become an Author 2.0 with Dare2Compete.