Greetings all,I am cynically looking to boost my profile and would appreciate some advice on the extracurricular activities which a budding consultant should take up. My academics are fine, but my CV is plain.......anon

Do what interests you and do it well and/or take a leadership role in it.

do some volunteer work

Firstly, do something you think you'll enjoy and not just something that looks good. It's easy to tell in interviews if someone has a passion for something. Depends what age you are. If still a student, things like the Officer Training Corps or other military equivalents give great examples of teamwork, leadership, problem solving etc. you can use in interviews. Indeed, a lot of active university clubs offer the same. Volunteer work can be patchy. It makes you look a good person, but sometimes the examples people give of what they've done is just frankly rubbish. As above, if you go down this route make sure it's something you're passionate about and you really want to make a difference, otherwise it's clear to see you've done it only for your CV.

Let's be honest. Most people who are academic high-achievers devote a lot of time to studying, and don't have much time left over for impressive extra-curricular pursuits. So any CVs which list snowboarding, scuba diving, running a local charity, rowing, backpacking around Asia, president of this or that committee etc are probably from people who are exaggerating the extent of their involvement with these 'hobbies'. Sure, some people do genuinely do these things, but many people make things up and exaggerate just so they're not set at a disadvantage at the CV-filtering stage.Since socialising with friends, walking in the park and watching TV don't count as 'impressive extra-curricular activities' in today's job market, what are 10 examples of things could someone list in order to show what an impressive, interesting, well-rounded natural-born leader they are?

My instinctive response to the initial question is 'get a life'. I dont understand how you can be so devoid of any outside interests that you have to ask what to do outside of study. If someone said jump over a cliff - would you? Why not do it? Do make sure you use the safety equipment though! People might doubt that you did it but hey, who cares, it might give you an adrenaline rush. Start small and then try larger jumps - like the Grand Canyon - get sponsored - 'I bungeed the Canyon to help the terminally uninteresting'. Something like that - anything - but not nothing.

anon,"My instinctive response to the initial question is 'get a life'."I think you should read Apple Man's thread. The original poster has not asked for help to make his/her life more interesting, they have asked for advice on how various extracurricular activities are perceived by employers.This is a valid question. I feel your reply has more to do with unconnected frustrations in your life.

I did read the thread thanks. I simply dont see the extra curricular part of a CV and/or interview in that light. It doesnt, and I would argue shouldn't, be a contrived attempt to buck the process. If you look at what successful people do when they are not working it can be anything from taking a walk to unwind to some challenging sporting or charity activity. What might be very interesting to one interviewer might not be to another. Jot down a few activities and be prepared to chat about them if asked. There are plenty of people that do lead successfully by just doing it, not by second guessing the reactions of others to them. Good luck with the amateur psychoanalysis though!