Students

Being Active On Campus May Lead To First Job Out Of College

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Getting involved with campaigning on campus will not only provide memorable experiences, but it could lead to employment, the Guardian reported.

For students, getting involved around campus could be a great way to build up skills that could set them apart from others in job applications. The skill students acquire as a campaigner are varied and transferrable, they can be applied to a wide range of careers.

"Networking has been the most important part of my campaigning and a really essential skill," Billy Hill, a third-year student at the University of Birmingham, told the Guardian.

Learning how to talk to strangers about issues one is passionate about is a key part of campaigning, and would be useful to any job hunter.

"I think if you can sell your campaign and your idea to a stranger on the street, then you can sell yourself to someone who's sitting across a table from you, interviewing you for a job," Hill said.

Being active on campus led to Hill's first job. He met Jamie Oliver and government minister Alan Duncan through his campaign work. After a three-month paid internship at the campaign group One, Hill was offered a full-time job for when he graduates next year.

"From the beginning Billy stood out as being really active and for organizing lots of events" Saira O' Mallie, UK campaigns manager and Hill's future boss, told the Guardian. "When he interned with us he was very happy to approach people about the campaign, which lots of people can be nervous about."

Unlike temp work or a part-time job that requires a student worker to work set hours, campaigning is more accommodating and can be worked around a student's schedule.

"The good thing about volunteering and campaigning is that time is more flexible. You can decide how much you put in - you give as much as you can give," Carrie Wilson, young people's project coordinator at the Care Leavers' Association, told the Guardian.

Wilson also got her first job through campaign work at a university.

"I wouldn't have got an interview if it wasn't for the campaigning work I did at university," said Wilson, who worked with young people who'd gone through the care system while at university.

Her experiences led to a job at Sheffield Hallam University leading their care project, and then on to her current role at the Care Leavers' Association.

Fundraising and Communications manager at Student Hubs Zoe Conn told the Guardian the skills students pick up from doing campaign work on their college campuses are fundraising, communication and advocacy skills, which are all transferable.

"If you're campaigning about something you're passionate about, you're going to be really invested in the skills that you're learning too, so are more likely to think about them critically."

Conn's organization that aims to get college students involved with activism. Getting involved with campaigns can expose you to high levels of responsibility, which can be a real boost to one's cover letter and resume.

Yemi Apama, a management graduate from the London School of Economics, said campaign work is fulfilling.

"Doing something like this you have much more of an opportunity to be influential and drive things, " he told the Guardian.

Apuma said Campaigning at college can not only help students get a job, it can help them find what they really want to do and help give them direction.  

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