Gaining leadership experience

I would like to challenge you as you start thinking about your New Year’s resolutions to consider ways to make this spring semester really meaningful to your college experience. It might seem early, but as you already know with one term under your belt, your college years sure fly by!

Gaining leadership experience can often seem to students like scaling a mountain. I hear it all the time: “But, how do I start getting leadership experience? What am I supposed to do?” Well, of course there is no easy one-fits-all recipe, but here is my advice:

You just start…Just throw yourself in!

Here are some ideas to get the wheels turning:

1) In your club – Probably the easiest place to start. Ask yourself what you like to do and what you’re good at to figure out what positions you might be interested in. Or on the other hand, what is an area you would like to get better at or learn more about? Want to be president? Talk to the current president about the stepping-stone positions they took to help them prepare. Too much pressure? What other officer positions might you be interested in that could give you some great career experience and/or build your résumé?

If no position is open right now, then think about joining a committee or two so that you can meet more people in the club – those are the people who just might be voting for (or against!) you in the next election.

2) In your classes – No, you don’t have to be a teacher’s pet to talk to your professors about your interests. You might be surprised by the possibilities that could open to you just by asking, whether it leads to opportunities to work in a certain department, or with an individual project that a professor needs assistance with. All of those little things can really add up by your senior year when it comes time for recommendation letters.

3) In your job – Got a part-time job? Instead of hiding in the store-room when the boss is looking for help, volunteer to re-fold those sweaters. Or offer your creative skills when they need some fresh ideas for the newest promotion. Talk to your manager about ways that you can step up your game on the job – it can lead to pay raises, promotions, and good networking. If nothing else, it is really good practice for when you are working the job in the career that does matter to you!

4) In your volunteer position – Do you volunteer with a non-profit or political organization? No matter your reason for putting the hours in, really take advantage of your time there. Getting passionate about the cause will serve as a great example to the people you are working with – supervisors and fellow volunteers alike. Think of ways to expand your sphere of influence: what else could you be doing there to make a difference? How do you want people to think of you as a volunteer?

5) At your school – Think Globally, Act Locally. You don’t have to have been a student government superstar in high school in order to get involved with your college student government. Check out the opportunities at your campus – even the seemingly small ones. Many students never get the opportunity to enact real change they care about at their campuses because they do not take the effort to get their hands dirty with the things that really matter to them and their fellow college-students! Talk about a great way to make a difference!

Be proud of yourself – you are paving the way for successful future semesters, and even more importantly, a successful post-graduation future!