Part Time work: Students’ Union Ambassador
As next year I won’t be here anymore to share with you my thoughts and advice, this blog is for the ones that are thinking about getting a part time job next year, one that is flexible enough, yet one that provides you with some extra cash for paying you bills and nights out.
In second year, I was a Students’ Union Ambassador. My job mainly involved that on Monday of every week, I would be allocated to a students’ accommodation complex and, together with another colleague, we would have to display the posters and promotional materials from different companies in every kitchen of that accommodation complex. For instance, if I were assigned to Tocil, I would go in every Tocil building and leave the necessary materials. Sometimes, when students were in the kitchen, I could take some time to explain to them what the main events of the week are and try to engage them with what’s going on around the campus. There were times when I would randomly meet people taking the same course as me, friends of a friend, people doing societies I was interested to, so the social aspect of the job was really enjoyable.
The Monday shift was compulsory and it would last from 4 to 8 PM. Prior to going, there would be a short briefing, included in the program, in which our manager would present to us the key upcoming events so that we are knowledgeable enough and can pass it on to students. If you finished earlier, which was the case in many occasions, you could just sign out and go home, therefore the program was indeed very light. Even more so, I remember that, for one term, I had a lecture 4 – 6 on Monday, hence I would have to complete my shift in two hours, from 6 to 8. My manager was very understanding, so she would assign me to halls in which I would be able to complete the shift on time. Even more so, because I would sometimes start by the time the others had already finished, I would frequently do the shift on my own. For the ones that enjoy working independently, this is another perk of the job – you just need to let the manager know you are willing to work by yourself.
The Student Ambassadors community is relatively small – we were around 15 (+/-) members and usually, from one week to another, you would get paired up with someone else so that we get to interact with each other. When you have someone to talk to, time flies and your shift is done in a blink of an eye. There was one person I bonded with particularly because our humor was somewhat on the same page, hence I would let the manager know we make a good team, so that she would pair us up whenever possible. Even if it’s a small community, there must be at least a few people you can hit it off with.
There were also possibilities to do some additional shifts for some extra cash, usually in the morning. These shifts were optional and would happen throughout the week. For instance, if a hall was not covered during the Monday shift, someone could do it on Tuesday, before classes. To get recognized around the campus, we would wear a black hoodie entitled “SU Ambassador”, which, as a matter of fact, remains yours at the end of the year.
A little warning here so that you don’t get confused: Students’ Union Ambassadors and Warwick Student Ambassadors are two different jobs. The Students’ Union is a different entity and it is their events that we, the Ambassadors, are representing. We were not representing the University during open days, as that was the job of the Warwick Student Ambassadors.
Keep in mind that applications for SU Ambassadors are open during the summer holiday, so keep an eye on the SU website so as not to miss the deadline.
I really recommend this part time job for the ones that are not seeking for a lot of commitment during their studies, but who want to earn some money for themselves. If you are thinking to apply and would like some more information on the job, feel free to leave a comment.
