Three good reasons why university students should become student ambassadors

Hi, my name’s Viktor and I’m an Economics student currently completing a work placement at Huddersfield Business School as a Student Engagement Assistant. I’ve worked as a student ambassador for the school for over two years. I’ve enjoyed working as an ambassador, as it’s allowed me to develop my skills, particularly my public speaking skills, and it has given me the confidence to gain further work and professional experience. In this blog, I outline what an ambassador does, and why I think students should undertake student ambassador work…  

What’s a student ambassador?

Student ambassadors are the voice and public image of the University. They’re required to engage with students and potential students during events such as open days, applicant visit days, school and college visit days and any other university events and activities. Student ambassadors play a vital role within the University as they give insight into what it’s like studying here based on their own unique experiences. Students usually ask us questions about our specific courses and assessments, societies, activities, accommodation, and what it’s like living in the area.  

The University of Huddersfield has three different student ambassador roles, which are the traditional student ambassador, the social media student ambassador, and The Student Room (TSR) student ambassador. Each one promotes the University on different forums. Traditional student ambassadors support a wide range of events and activities. Social media student ambassadors produce content for Instagram stories and other social channels, along with graphics, blogs, or host student takeovers for the University’s social media channels. Lastly, TSR student ambassadors chat with students on both the ‘Unibuddy’ and ‘The Student Room’ platforms, which are designed for students to make enquires or have general conversations about what it’s like being a university student. You can take part in one or more of these roles, and they’re available to international, undergraduate, and postgraduate students. 

1. Getting work experience  

Through undertaking student ambassador work, students gain invaluable work experience, which is important for boosting your prospects to transition from being a student into any career. Having work experience can help you stand out from the crowd in a competitive job market. Since I became a student ambassador in June 2020, I’ve taken part in a variety of events and activities, spoken, and presented as a panellist, conducted tours and, helped in event organising. In addition, I’ve presented to prospective students and current students about student life and answered lots of general enquiries. This will look great on my CV when I apply for graduate roles as it shows that I’ve worked in a varied role, developing a broad range of skills. According to UCAS, two-thirds of employers look specifically for graduates with relevant work experience, as they’re generally more prepared and have greater commercial/business awareness. 

2. Developing soft skills

By working as a student ambassador, I gained the ability to self-manage. This includes being proactive in managing my time and priorities. Adobe found in their ‘in-demand skills to get hired 2022’ that time management and proactivity are both top skills that employers look for. Being a student ambassador, all while also being an Economics student, can seem challenging, but I’ve been able to manage my time and productivity well, and I believe it shows that I am being proactive in seeking more ways to expand my knowledge and build on my skillset.  

Being a student ambassador helps you to develop your emotional intelligence as you must communicate with lots of people from diverse backgrounds who are visiting the university, and work alongside a diverse group of professional service staff and academics. The role also helps you develop your confidence as you’ll be required to stand in front of groups of people and speak about the university and answer questions, which is something I’ve found particularly beneficial with helping me polish my public speaking and communication skills with individuals from varying backgrounds and cultures. Furthermore, working in a big team of student ambassadors has put me in a unique position enabling me to build valuable relationships with my peers, positively influence others, and work collaboratively to improve our success.  

3. Earning money 

Of course, payday is everyone’s favourite day. I joined the student ambassador team for the experience so I could add it to my CV, but the pay is generous and fulfilling, as I can use the extra money to pay for other hobbies and activities. Student ambassadors get paid just over £10 per hour, which is great for someone looking to make extra money while they study without the work being too demanding. Students can work up to 15 hours per week, and it’s up to you to decide how many hours you would like to work, so it fits around your studies. There are lots of opportunities to work throughout the year, but I would recommend that you show initiative when you find out about a work opportunity that’s appealing to you.  

To wrap up…  

Being a student ambassador has been and continues to be a rewarding experience. I’ve learnt so much from this role, and I can apply the knowledge and skills that I’ve developed in my current placement and future employment. During my time, I’ve been able to strengthen my communication skills and build essential personal qualities like being proactive and agile, while working in a team. I’ve improved my presentation skills and become more confident in myself overall. Furthermore, being a student ambassador has given me a great support network, and it’s nice being a part of a community. I offer support to the other ambassadors when they need help, and they do the same for me too. I would encourage anyone thinking ‘why should I become a student ambassador?’ to consider the points I’ve mentioned and dive in – you won’t regret it.

If you’d like to find out more about being a student ambassador, please contact the Student Experience Team at hbs-studentexperience@hud.ac.uk.