On the fence about whether to nominate yourself for a sabbatical officer position? Current SU President Maia Jarvis gives you the lowdown on why you should stand in the election.
On the fence about whether to nominate yourself for a sabbatical officer position? Our incumbent President, Maia Jarvis, gives you the lowdown on why you should stand in the election.
Campaigning is fun (and great for the CV)!
Campaigning is such a unique and enjoyable experience. You’re at the helm of your own campaign and get to flex so many different muscles: project management, social media skills, networking, time management, leadership, and so on. You’ll never get bored and no matter the outcome, campaigning teaches you valuable transferable skills that you can put on future job applications.
It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity
Not everyone can run to be a sabbatical officer – it’s an opportunity only available to you if you’re a student and once you leave university, it’s quite unlikely you’ll ever be able to run a campaign and be elected into a job (unless you become an MP of course). Bored of updating your CV and prepping for interviews? Make a music video and stand outside the library shouting your cheesy campaign slogan instead!
Meet new people
During campaigning, you meet a wide range of individuals such as other candidates and fellow students. It is an insightful opportunity to listen to people's student experiences and what they would like to see changed.
Grow your confidence
The election process is such a high-pressure time, but the SU's Student Voice team is on hand to help and support all candidates. The experience of running in an election has really pushed my limits and I've really discovered how resilient I am.
With great power comes great responsibility
Being a sabbatical officer grants you so many opportunities and responsibilities which you’d be hard-pressed to find in other jobs post/during uni. You work closely with the Principal/Senior Vice-Principals of the University as well as other senior staff and have the opportunity to enact College-wide change to improve the experience of 11,000+ students!
You have nothing to lose... apart from your dignity
What do you really have to lose? If it doesn’t work out, you can still go straight into a job or even take a gap year. Though as a warning, if you run a good campaign, you will lose a little bit of dignity whether that involves going to Meds in your swimming costume or singing outside the library. But like…who really cares?
28k salary
Cost of living crisis, dude.
Make student lives better!
Aside from some amazing benefits you’d receive should you be elected; you'll have the chance to make a real impact on behalf of students at Royal Holloway.
If you still aren't convinced, head to the elections hub to find out more information about standing (and to nominate yourself!). It's quick and easy, and there's still plenty of time before Sunday 5 February!