The LSE Community Engagement Programme is a supported initiative in which teams of LSE students volunteer as consultants for UK and overseas charities. Each team is given a project brief they must address within 10 weeks, and which focuses on a ‘challenge’ a charity faces. Student applications to the LSE Community Engagement Programme 2023 are open until 12 November to all current LSE undergraduates and postgraduates. 

In this blogpost, we hear from Clara, who discusses how undergraduate students can utilize this programme for job search and their future career.

LSE has more to offer than its world-class education and research. As an undergraduate student, participating in extra-curricular activities through various societies and internships is invaluable for work after university. An example is the LSE Community Engagement Programme offered by the Volunteer Centre. Not only will it provide a unique entry to a CV but the responsibilities students partake in will allow them to earn both soft and hard skills needed to succeed in their job search and future career.

In the programme, students participate in consultancy challenges with various UK charities. The LSE Volunteer Centre provides the necessary resources including public speaking, research techniques & ethics, communication, and time management training. Students are placed into teams, each of which is assigned to a mentor with deep knowledge of the industry. This 3-month opportunity also provides exposure to what students should expect at a work place after they graduate.

I participated in the program in 2023 as a Masters student. I had four years of work experience prior to joining LSE, which gave me some insights to how beneficial the programme was to students especially in elevating their chances of a job offer. In addition, I saw how it offered practical skills that can be applied to at a workplace. Here are a few ways you can fully take advantage of this experience as an undergraduate student:

– LinkedIn connections

Connect with individuals from the charity as well as your peers and the LSE Volunteer Centre staff. This is extremely beneficial because not only you will be notified of future job opportunities, but you will also be exposed to their vast network of connections.

– Build your CV

As you are participating in the programme, note down all your current responsibilities, outcomes, and what you’ve learned (i.e. research, communication, etc.). Be very specific. This will help you identify your key contributions to the project later in your CV. If you can, aim to receive one of the programme awards: best report, best presentation, etc.

– Be an active participant

Unfortunately, having a connection on your LinkedIn or a few bullet points on your resume will not be very beneficial if you are not fully engaged in the programme. People are more willing to help you, say with a job offer or recommendation, if they have seen your skills and work ethic. Bring agendas to meetings, ask insightful questions, and be an active listener. Everyone, including other students in your group, has something to offer. Some will be great writers, some researchers, some amazing at presentations and some with epic people management skills. The good news is that the programme sets aside time for you to reflect. Utilize it well.

– Public speaking skills

At any job, you won’t most likely be able to avoid public speaking. Sometimes you are required to present your ideas or projects to your colleagues or even partners at your company. It is an important skill to have in order to succeed at work. In this programme, you have opportunities to speak to executives of nonprofits and in front of a large audience – in a very low-risk environment. Rely on your teammates, your mentor, and the volunteer center. Practice and ask for their feedback.

– Time and expectation management

This seems obvious but you would be surprised at how many people are terrible at this at work. Don’t automatically rely on someone else to take charge (even though it is much simpler to do so!). Set specific action items and targets during the first week of your programme, reevaluate and adjust as you gain more insights. This includes things like scheduling meetings for the rest of the programme; for instance, once every week with your team or once a month with the charity. Use this opportunity to set expectations for yourself and other members of the team, focusing on their strengths and what they want to work on most. This will help immensely with your discussions with your mentor and the nonprofit (or a.k.a. your boss and your client). It gives them confidence about where you are in your project. Additionally, it will help avoid potential conflicts within the team when things are stressful and demanding. Most importantly, it will help you prioritize tasks each week because being an LSE student can start to feel very overwhelming especially towards the end of the project when you have conflicting deadlines.

I cannot stress enough how important this is at a job. For example, your conversation about promotion and salary will go much smoother if you set your targets early and discuss with your manager about how you can achieve them.

Keeping all of the above in mind, don’t forget to also have fun. This is a time for you to make friends outside of your programme. You will learn a lot about the local community and you might enjoy volunteering by the end of the programme, if you were not already doing so. I personally really loved working on the project because I got to learn more about London and the UK that I wouldn’t have otherwise as an international student.

If Clara has inspired you to volunteer, check out one of our other ongoing opportunities or book a one-to-one with David Coles, the Volunteer Centre Manager if you have more questions. And why not follow us on Twitter, and Instagram to stay up-to-date with our events and opportunities and read our blog for more volunteering tips and stories.