Taking time to develop your skills and experience can take so many shapes and forms throughout your career journey. But what is the point of experience (and what can you actually) develop from running for Disabled Students officer or being an NUS delegate?
Firstly, all experience is good experience! It helps you to deepen your understanding of what you like and enjoy, your strengths and the skills you might want to develop. Secondly, we know that employers really value experience, whether that’s the part-time role you hold alongside studying, your extra-curricular activities, the volunteering you do every week, the project you’re working on as part of your course or the internship you’re hoping to do in the summer.
Whatever you’re planning to do when you graduate, it’s going to be really important to have practical experience that you can draw on, to show employers or academics what you can do – and running in the LSESU election is one of many ways to develop this.
Yes, you read that right – we said running! Standing for a role and being elected will of course bring with it a wealth of experience as you undertake your elected role, fulfilling your duties and responsibilities on behalf of the student community at LSE. You’ll work on your ability to manage stakeholders, strengthen your advocacy skills and continually develop your communication skills. Running, (even if you’re not elected), can be a great opportunity to build your skills in many of these areas – and more – in a short period of time.
So, what skills can standing in the LSESU elections help you develop? Alongside those mentioned above:
- public speaking
- resilience
- the ability to think strategically (when writing your manifesto)
- the ability to empathise with others
- problem solving
- volunteer management
- campaign management.
And these are all skills that you’ll be able to refer to and reflect upon whether you’re writing a cover letter, completing an application or providing an example in an interview, and that you’ll no doubt use both at your time at LSE and beyond.
Ready to stand? Here are the roles up for election but be quick! Nominations close on 15 October 2020.
- Postgraduate Officer (paid)
- Postgraduate Research Students Officer
- Graduate Teaching Assistant Rep
- Disabled Students Officer
- Mature and Part Time Students Officer
- Academic Board (2)
- Member of LSE Council
- Member of Democracy Committee (2)
- NUS delegates (3)
- Society Network Chairs (4)- Faith, Activities and Special Interest, Academic, Nationality and Culture
- AU Exec (1)
- AU Engagement Officer
