To people who did master's programs: did you do resume-building extracurriculars?

[Sleepless in skellefteå]

I'm having problems finding projects outside of classes to do. Within the scope of my program, I am studying languages and plan to do research when given the opportunity. However, my friends who are not doing history are all doing reading groups, side jobs etc that are somewhat connected to their interests. I have had a hard time finding similar projects that align with my goal of becoming a historian. Does anyone have any tips/inspiration? Or is it not that important when applying for PhDs? 

[ladydobz]

I volunteered while at my undergrad program for online research with a History museum. I've reached out to a couple again to see if they're interested in a free researcher, but had to back out due to some health issues currently. I'm studying French to work on the language requirements as well. If you find you have the time, maybe reaching out to local historical societies or museums to volunteer research, or working on getting published? Of the professors I've spoken with, those are two of the points that they like the most. I wish you luck with your applications! 

[TMP]

I worked as an administrative assistant (part time) in an organization related to my interests for money.  The skills and projects that I did were helpful for job interviews after my MA (when I didn't get into any PhD programs) as I did not take any time off between BA and MA to keep building my resume.

[cladthecrab]

I started with some internship experience as an undergrad, but now (MA year 2) I volunteer for a local org when health permits. Small museums are nearly always in need of volunteers, and it can be great to use your skills outside of an academic setting. I think this has helped me to keep a balance between my "academic" voice and my ability to communicate with the communities I'd like to serve.

The structure of my program is prohibitive to super heavy organizational involvement, so my main focus is treasurer for our HGSA. Like a lot of HGSAs, we have a conference, so it's great experience with working through funding applications and budgeting for events, which I'm hoping will translate well into aptitude with grant applications post-MA.

Conferences and pubs could be worth your time. A lot of grad conferences are pretty low-stakes and CFPs go out year-round to departments and on H-Net. I did one of those last year, plan to do one this year, and have been looking into opportunities to publish in blogs or small journals to get work distributed. You could always work with a prof to find a home for something if you write a really solid seminar paper.