Resumes are a critical part of the application process and whether you’re creating one from scratch or updating an old resume, you likely have many questions. The largest of which is how to list a club or honor society on your resume.
Before we dive in, we’ll discuss a few best practices first. No matter the role you’re applying to, whether it’s a job, internship, or another opportunity, your resume needs to shine.
Resume Best PracticesYour resume is often the first thing employers see when considering candidates — making it an excellent opportunity to stand out and land an interview. Here are some resume writing tips for you to follow:
Highlight Key Accomplishments and Experience
Think of your resume as an outline. You’ll want to make any relevant professional or personal experience easy to find. You can include things like:
- Education
- Jobs and Internships
- Volunteer work
- Clubs and organizations, such as a leadership honor society
- Awards and Certifications
- Relevant skills
Once you’ve identified the key experiences you want to list, describe your responsibilities and any important things you’ve learned.
For example, being a part of a sports team may have taught you the value of teamwork, collaboration, and accountability. Being a member of a leadership honor society could have helped you develop your work ethic, critical thinking skills, or other soft skills important in the modern workplace.
Keep It Short and Skimmable
Hiring managers read numerous resumes so you want to make it as easy as possible for them to find critical information. Use the white space on your resume to break up each point and allow your most remarkable experiences to stand out.
Keep the descriptions under each of your experiences short, to the point, and with just enough important information. Keeping descriptions brief allows you to elaborate on your experience further during the interview process.
Tailor It to Your Audience
Hiring managers look for a specific set of skills. Review the job description closely to find out precisely what skills they’re after. Identify any keywords they use and incorporate applicable ones on your resume. This process takes time but first impressions are critical, and you want to make sure you’re making a good one.
Listing an Honor Society on Your Resume
Now that we’ve discussed some general resume best practices, let’s dive a little deeper.
You can follow many different resume formats, but what’s the most effective way to list your honor society membership, responsibilities, and awards?
Typically, you’ll want to list your professional experience first, followed by any honor societies, clubs, and programs. You’ll want to create a separate section for your experience in the leadership honor society, and be sure to leave enough room to list your responsibilities and skills.
If you have an awards section on your resume, you can include any recognition you’ve received from your honor society there. If your leadership honor society sends out digital badges, use them to highlight your accomplishments.
How the NSLS Can Boost Your Resume
As a leadership honor society that focuses on professional and personal growth, our programs help students like you hone their leadership skills through hands-on experience and life-changing learning opportunities. We also offer coaching and mentorships, where you can get guidance on your resume, interviewing, and skill-building.
We are the only accredited honor society in the nation. Because of this prestige, membership to the NSLS can be a huge differentiator between you and other applicants. In fact, some employers actively seek to hire members of the NSLS.
Are you looking to build your resume and get real-world, professional experience? We offer paid internships, where you can get hands-on experience that truly develops your leadership skills. Apply for an internship with us today to start a chapter at your school.
