Being on the board for a club has its perks, here are three reasons why
This year, I became the Secretary for my Women in Economics Club, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. This position and club have allowed me to explore new areas of communication, teamwork and leadership. Alongside these attributes, being on the board of a club has its own perks and rewards that are unique to these leadership positions. Here are three different reasons why I think all students should take leadership positions within their student organizations.
Taking a board position within your student organizations enables you to gain valuable leadership experience and the ability to build your resume. When I first applied to join the board for women in econ, I was nervous to take on a greater role within the club and to do an interview with my peers. However, I am very grateful for both of these opportunities. The interview was great practice in talking about my interests in the club and my qualifications for the position, which are skills used in actual job interviews. It was also a great interview experience in being able to talk to anyone, whether that is someone my own age or much older than me. As the Secretary I am responsible for writing and sending out the weekly emails, maintaining the club attendance and fielding any questions or feedback from our members via email. Now, this might sound somewhat mundane, but I genuinely enjoy crafting the weekly emails for the club. I gain great experience in being able to properly communicate the club events and updates, but I also get to include personal touches. For example, in almost every email I include a cute snoopy picture that either relates to our socials or will just make the members smile. I love this aspect of the job, as I am not only growing my resume and my professional skills by taking on a greater position within the club, but I also get to make members smile with even the smallest inclusions.
Being on the board within your student organizations encourages the friendships you will build with the other board members. There are eight of us on the board for Women in Economics. Going into the position, I did not know many of them very well. However, after months of working together and seeing each other at the club meetings, we have all managed to become closer friends. I have gained numerous familiar faces within each club meeting and since our club is targeted towards those interested in economics, I have also gained a group of friends to ask for advice about classes or the major. I love this aspect of my board position since we all often act as hype women for each other and encourage others to become more involved and to talk themselves up. We meet every semester for an overview of what we want to accomplish with the club and what we have already done. These meetings are a great way to relax about the club and the tasks we must do because we are able to share ideas and ask for feedback from each other, while also just spending time with each other and laughing.
Lastly, holding a board position with your student organizations allows you to have special opportunities with the club. As a member of the board, I can present ideas about the direction I want the club to go towards while also being able to contribute to other board members’ projects. Most recently, our club did our first networking trip to Chicago. With this trip, I was able to participate without having to apply due to my position on the board. This was a huge perk of taking this leadership position, specifically being able to network with different companies and participate in such a large event for the club. This trip was rather eye-opening for me as I got to not only see a new city and spend time with my friends but also to see how important this club was to the 16 girls that went on this trip and how much I appreciated being a part of this organization.
Being in a student organization is an excellent opportunity to make friends and join a cause that you are passionate about. You can further that passion and those friendships by joining the board of a student organization and I highly encourage you to do so. As a current board member for women in econ, I am so grateful for the experiences the club has given me so far and I hope everyone is able to gain everything they desire out of their student organizations.