Student elections: why should you stand?

If you'd like the opportunity to bring about the change you'd like to see at your university, and get paid while doing it you should consider assuming a more active role within the students' union (SU).

There are many elected roles available, with some requiring more commitment than others.

While societies and sports clubs host voluntary elected positions to run alongside your studies, the SU offers numerous paid, full-time sabbatical roles (usually taken after graduation or during a gap year), that can be held for a year, such as:

• president
• vice-president
• education officer
• international students officer
• sports, societies and events officer
• welfare officer.

Part-time SU roles represent specific groups (for example, disabled students, postgraduates, women, etc), and are paid a small stipend for an eight-hour work week, which is undertaken alongside your studies.

'I ran in my election because I'd been involved in the union for a couple of years and it seemed like the next step for me to deliver for Sussex students,' explains Lewis Wilson, education and employability officer at the University of Sussex Students' Union. 'I wanted to get more involved and becoming a sabbatical officer seemed like the perfect way to do that - but you don't need to have years of experience working in and around the union to run in an election, everyone is welcome.'

'At university I was club captain of women's rugby, a role that meant working closely with the previous wellbeing and sports officer,' says Amelia Desouza, wellbeing and sports officer at the University of Sheffield's Students' Union. 'I realised how much impact an SU officer could have and how I could bring my experience to help drive real change.'

If this sounds like something you'd like to get involved in, here are some of the reasons you should give it a go:

• You get the opportunity to create change in huge institutions that will have a lasting impact and make life better for future students.
• It's a rewarding job as you get to see a change you've implemented.
• It's a great way to give back to a union that has looked after your interests at university.

'If you have opinions or ideas about how things could be better, being a students' union officer is one of the best ways to actually do something about it,' adds Amelia. 'You really get to make a difference, represent students in key conversations, and be that voice in the room that pushes for change. It's also so rewarding to be elected and see your ideas come to life.'

Here are a few things you should bear in mind before kicking off your campaign…

The advantages of standing in a student election

First and foremost, elected students have the ability to drive change. By leading campaigns or organising events, you can steer the direction of your society, sports club or wider university, and advance the causes that you and your peers believe in.

'I helped introduce women-only gym sessions and it's amazing to see students engaging with something that started as an idea,' says Amelia.

'I've been lucky enough to shape roughly 50 policies while I've been in office, which have allowed for really cool changes - like getting the university to commit to divesting all of its investments away from planet-killing industries, or allowing students to change seminar groups because they have employment commitments,' adds Lewis.

Involvement extends to wider university matters for those in more senior roles. Full-time sabbatical officers sit on major committees with the vice-chancellor and the senior team - providing an invaluable insight into the higher education sector. 'You get to be in spaces you might never get to be in again,' says Amelia. 'It's real responsibility and real influence.'

'One day I might be organising a varsity event or a sports awards ceremony, and the next, I'm in high-level meetings like the University Executive Board or sitting on trustee committees,' adds Amelia.

'In this job you're automatically a trustee of a charity, you can be a director of a company, or become a trustee of the university and set multi-million pound budgets. It's up to you what each day looks like,' says Lewis.

Holding an elected SU position also allows you to interact with students from a variety of backgrounds and this can result in strong, long-lasting friendships. You'll work with a diverse range of people, including:

• academics
• students
• union staff
• university senior management
• university staff
• the wider community.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of becoming involved in your SU is boosting your employability. 'It's the perfect transition from university into the working world,' says Amelia. The experience you'll gain looks great on your CV and you'll be able to use relevant examples from your time in office to back up skills in your cover letter and at interview. 'I graduated in the summer and now I'm in a full-time role where I'm learning every single day. The transferable skills - from leadership and project management to communication and negotiation - are massive.'

Learn more about the importance of extra-curricular activities.

The disadvantages

There are, however, some drawbacks. Most notably, the fact that being an elected SU officer is a stressful and demanding job. Going from a student to having strategic input in an entire organisation is a big leap. 'There's definitely pressure. You're elected into this role by your peers, and there's so much you want to achieve,' says Amelia.

Also, for the more commitment-heavy sabbatical and part-time roles, you must be willing to sacrifice much of your time, which may impact your studies or social life. Discover how to balance work and study.

'It's hard to switch off because you really care about students and the institution, so it's difficult to set boundaries with students when they're speaking to you in a pub on a weekend about an academic issue they're facing,' says Lewis.

'Also, you face new issues every week - there's no rule book to being a sabbatical officer, you learn on the job. It puts you through your paces - you'll learn crisis management, how to meet deadlines, how to write papers and present to executives and how to professionally interact with people on salaries 15 times the size of yours, but that's why you do it.'

How to win a student election

Preparation and planning are key but the best way to win a student election is to follow the advice of previous successful candidates, who suggest:

• Believe that you're the best person for the job - Have confidence in yourself and truly believe in what you stand for if you want people to vote for you. If you don't think you can win, nobody else will.
• Organise your manifesto - Know in advance what your campaign will focus on. This involves combining your personal beliefs with those of your peers. Figure out your 'brand' and capitalise on your unique selling points. Keep the message simple and recruit a good support team. 'Some of my manifesto points were to bring back the 25x (our express bus service to and from campus), reform the academic adviser system, gain academic credit for student reps and part-time officers and get cheaper housing on campus,' says Lewis. 'My manifesto included practical and realistic proposals,' adds Amelia. 'Including employability workshops for student athletes, a wellbeing framework with clear signposting and support, initiatives to make sport and physical activity more accessible and ways to advocate for continued investment to ensure our facilities stay top-class.'
• Practice public speaking - You'll be doing plenty of this before and during your tenure, so it's important to hone your communication abilities. Take every opportunity to practice speaking in front of an audience - whether through course assignments, work presentations or hobbies.
• Be visible - If you want to win an election you need to be recognisable to student voters. You won't win by just printing your face on a few posters. Get out and about on campus - chat to students face-to-face.
• Don't over promise - 'When I spoke to students, I kept it sincere. I genuinely wanted to hear their experiences. My advice is to run on something you actually believe in, and don't overpromise. Be realistic and grounded in what you can deliver. That authenticity really resonates with people,' says Amelia. If you need a bit of guidance on what's plausible, talk to current union officers.

'Speak to people before you run. Root your manifesto in real problems that students are facing. Make yourself approachable and base your work on your own experiences and you should have any problems gaining votes,' advises Lewis.

'Don't just speak to your mates, go out there, find out about the issues that students on the fringes are facing. Speak to people you've never spoken to before. Every student has an issue - be the person who wants to fix it.'

Find out more

• Read up on university life.