Student Communications Team (SCT)
Jacob Atkinson, MSc Strategic Planning and Investment
Why I got involved
This is my second year working as a member of the Student Communications Team. I originally became involved during my third year of my undergraduate degree in order to enhance my CV and increase my graduate skill base. I initially started off by volunteering with the SCT and working with a large group of students to promote the Careers Service. After I joined I soon realised that the job was not just mundane tasks like putting up posters or giving presentations, we actually received training sessions from respectable employers, such as IBM who sponsored us.
Main roles and activities
My main role is to promote the Careers Service. We deliver presentations for students during lectures, distribute advertising material, talk to students about the services they can receive from us, and organise and run events to attract undergraduate students to the Careers Service.
Most enjoyable aspect
I enjoy working for such an important part of the University. You get to feel like you are actively involved within the system that helps the University you study at run so smoothly. Also helping people find out what future options are available to them; helping someone who is struggling to figure out their future can be very rewarding. I particularly enjoyed dressing up as a lion for the Lions Lair challenge and being ambushed by students and school children for free Snickers bars.
Most rewarding aspect
Whilst working in the team you get to meet everyone working with the Careers Service. This means that I now have a large network of friends, colleagues and contacts across and outside the University campus. Through these contacts I have received various invitations to events such as, Enterprisers, business start up conferences and various networking sessions which have been invaluable for my future career options.
Fitting it around my degree
I actually have three part-time jobs at the moment alongside my degree. These would be pretty impossible to hold down if it wasn’t for the fact that these positions are all very flexible. There are no set hours for the SCT, the opportunities are simply posted out to the team and if you are available you can take part.
How I've benefited
Employers consider ‘soft skills’ as much as technical abilities when considering applicants, particularly in my area of expertise. Soft skills are transferable skills which can be applied to any situation, both within and outside the workplace. Through all the events I have been involved in with the Student Communications Team I have developed a large range of these skills, and been able to mention and describe my experiences whilst applying for positions within companies.
Find out how you could become a member of the Student Communications Team.
