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.

What roles are available within my university's SU?

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:

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

'A big part of my role as education officer is working on campaigns and priorities, gathering feedback from students, and working collaboratively with the SU and the university to improve the student experience,' explains Helen Slater, education officer at the University of Bath. 'There can be a lot of meetings, but they're an important part of bringing student perspectives into discussions, working through ideas together, and turning feedback into meaningful change.'

Part-time SU roles represent specific student groups, such as:

• disabled students
• postgraduate students
• women.

These roles involve an eight-hour working week alongside your studies and are paid a small stipend.

Why should I consider standing for student election?

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.

'As soon as I got involved in the SU, I fell in love with the community,' says Helen. 'Through my role as an academic rep, I also became really interested in how we could make the academic experience fairer and more flexible for students. The education officer role felt like a great way to bring those two things together.'

As an SU officer, you'll:

• represent your peers in key conversations
• get the opportunity to create change in huge institutions that will have a lasting impact and make life better for future students
• see the changes you've implemented, which makes the role incredibly rewarding
• have the chance to give back to a union that has looked after your interests at university.

'The process of running to be an officer is such a chaotic but wonderful time,' adds Helen.

'If you win, you get to take on an incredible role with so many opportunities to make a difference, but I think there's value in the experience regardless of the outcome. You come away with a real appreciation for your community, new connections, and the confidence that comes from putting yourself out there. I'd really encourage anyone who's curious about running to give it a go. You don't have to know exactly what you're doing from the outset - you just need to care about something enough to want to make it better.'

What are the advantages of standing for 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.

'It's a real learning-on-the-job experience,' explains Helen. 'You get to try so many new things, take on responsibilities you might never have imagined yourself doing, and genuinely grow so much as a person in a short space of time. You develop skills, confidence and experience while working on things you care about and seeing how you can make a difference to students' experiences.'

Involvement extends to wider university matters for those in more senior roles. For example, 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.

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 range of people, including:

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

'The biggest advantage for me is the people,' says Helen. 'You make lifelong friends, work with people from all sorts of backgrounds, and get to settle into a working environment while staying connected to the student community. It's certainly a unique experience.'

Of course, becoming involved in your SU also gives your employability a boost. 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.

Learn more about the importance of extra-curricular activities.

Are there any disadvantages to running for student election?

Transitioning from being a student to having strategic input in an entire organisation is a big leap.

Helen agrees, 'there's definitely a lot of pressure. You care about the students you're representing, and you can be faced with pretty tough situations and issues that don't have easy solutions. You're also working within a limited timeframe - usually a year, maybe two - to deliver on so many things you're passionate about. You have to learn to prioritise, manage expectations, and accept that not everything will happen as quickly as you'd like. It's rewarding, but it's also a real responsibility.'

As such, 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.

How do I 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:

• Believing 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.
• Organising 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. 'My manifesto focused on three main themes - student voice and experience, fairer assessment and meaningful feedback, and accessibility, inclusivity, and wellbeing,' says Helen. 'I campaigned on things like building stronger academic communities and supporting student-led initiatives, as well as pushing to make certain assessment policies fairer and more flexible.'
• Building a solid campaign team - 'the biggest thing for me was having a campaign team who cared as much as I did,' says Helen. 'I couldn't have done it without my friends.'
• Practicing 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.
• Being visible - 'being present is important,' says Helen. 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. 'That said, you also need to pace yourself - campaigning is pretty intense, and you can’t be everywhere all the time,' adds Helen.
• Not over promising - run on something you actually believe in, and don't overpromise. 'Make sure your manifesto points are things you genuinely care about,' advises Helen. 'Be ambitious about what you want to achieve, but realistic about what's possible.' If you need a bit of guidance on what's plausible, talk to current union officers.

Find out more

• Read up on university life.