Roles & Opportunities

Max Pike, Vice President for Societies 2023-2024. Now a final year Politics and International Studies student.

Few experiences can match being a full-time officer at Warwick SU. It's a fantastic place to work and it was incredibly rewarding working with some very talented people, from my fellow officers and permanent staff, to students and university colleagues who are passionate about delivering for students.

I came into the role wanting to improve our support for students, make societies more financially accessible and make a difference, and I feel I succeeded in that. My proudest achievements include improving our bye-laws and internal structures to make the SU better equipped for supporting societies, successfully cutting membership fees by 20% for over 9,000 students and helping revive Warwick Student Arts Festival through a successful funding bid.

I gained valuable experience in working across multiple teams and often coordinating cross-team collaboration to deliver on a single goal which has inspired me in seeking a career that involves working with many stakeholders at once. I also gained valuable project management experience seeing through projects of varying sizes simultaneously, while expanding my network that I continue to leverage today.

Beyond the professional growth, the role pushed me out of my comfort zone, built my confidence, and allowed me to form lasting friendships.

Going into the role, I couldn't have imagined how much I'd grow my skillset, which will be invaluable going forward. Even the election campaign itself was a real learning curve, pushing me to build on my leadership skills by organising a 20-person campaign team, improve my public speaking through lecture shoutouts and debates, and develop my IT, requirements-gathering, and problem-solving skills by putting together a solid manifesto.

Once in the role, I kept developing my public speaking, representing students in university committee meetings, compering a national inter-university brass competition and training hundreds of society and sports club execs. This gave me the confidence to really step up and represent groups effectively in all sorts of situations.

I think the central skills I really built on were my problem-solving, analytical, and written skills. One project that really allowed me to utilise and develop these skills was my Board proposal for a reduction to the Societies Federation Fee. I took the initiative to tackle this major barrier to student engagement, diving deep into the fee's structure and using data analysis from student feedback surveys to show its negative impact. I built a detailed financial forecast for a 20% fee reduction, looking at different financial scenarios and even figuring out the logistics of multi-year membership refunds.

This project really honed my analytical skills, especially financial modelling and data interpretation, and sharpened my written communication. The best part was that the fee reduction was successful, benefiting around 9,000 students. It really showed me I could manage complex projects with significant financial and social impact, and it reinforced the leadership, analytical, and communication skills I'd been developing throughout the year.

Holly Roffe, Vice President Education 2023-2024. Currently a Masters Student in Social Research.

During my time as Vice President for Education at Warwick Students’ Union, I developed a wide range of skills that have been incredibly valuable in my career. Leadership was at the heart of the role, whether it was co-chairing committees with senior university staff, representing the academic interests of students, or serving as a trustee for the Union. These experiences honed my abilities in strategic thinking, negotiation, and stakeholder management.

I also gained strong organisational skills by managing multiple responsibilities, including sitting on 22 university committees and preparing for an Ofsted inspection. My advocacy work, particularly on accessibility improvements, strengthened my problem-solving skills and taught me how to drive meaningful change within large organisations.

What I cherished most was the opportunity to connect with students and represent their voices effectively. This experience reinforced my communication and interpersonal skills, making me a more empathetic and active listener - something that has not only had an effect on my professional skills, but also has made me a better friend.

The role has had a lasting impact on my career. It solidified my passion for policy and advocacy, especially in areas of education and accessibility, and inspired me to pursue a Master’s in Social Research, where my dissertation is focusing on disabled student engagement in formal student voice channels. The skills and confidence I gained have been pivotal in shaping my professional journey and aspirations.

Students should absolutely consider nominating themselves for an FTO role because it’s a truly transformative experience. It’s a chance to represent and make a real difference to the student community, shaping policies and decisions that impact thousands of people. You’ll develop invaluable skills in leadership, communication, and strategic thinking - skills that will set you up for success in any career you pursue.

Being an FTO also allows you to work closely with university leaders and a variety of stakeholders, giving you insight into how large organisations function. Plus, it’s incredibly rewarding to see the positive changes you’ve championed come to life, whether that’s improving accessibility, supporting student welfare, or enhancing academic experiences.

Beyond professional growth, it’s an opportunity to connect with students from all walks of life, making lifelong friends and memories. It’s a unique role where you can leave a lasting legacy while growing both personally and professionally. So, if you’re passionate about making a difference, don’t hesitate, go for it!

Chih-Hsiang Lo, Societies Officer 2021-2022, and Vice President for Education 2022-2023. Now Academic Representation Coordinator at Lancaster University Students’ Union.

During my time as a Full-Time Officer (FTO) I managed to develop my interpersonal skills through engaging and talking to many different student and University staff, utilised my project management skills by leading on different projects and events, and practiced my public speaking skills through giving multiple speeches to large crowds at university welcome talks and at graduation ceremonies.

Through this, the main thing I gained from the experience was confidence - the confidence that I was able to achieve and do things which perhaps I otherwise didn’t think I could. With support from SU staff and my fellow FTO peers, I felt that I was able to overcome my imposter syndrome and take that final step which at times felt daunting to do.

Whilst prior to my time as an Officer, I was uncertain on what I wanted to achieve, my time as a FTO helped to shape and guide my career afterwards, making it clear that I still have the drive to help support and improve the student experience within the Students’ Union sector.

In my current role as a staff member at another Students’ Union, I continue to support students, directly utilising the skills I developed during my time as a FTO in my everyday work.

“So, why should I nominate myself?” - I get asked this question a lot, either from friends or from people just curious about the role itself! What I always say to people is that if you are thinking of running, or are curious, just go for it!

The experiences and skills you can gain from this role are incredible – with opportunities to gain invaluable experiences and to make a real and long-lasting change for students at Warwick.

You will have the opportunity to be a director of a multi-million-pound organisation, have access to high level committees within the University where you can have direct impact on key issues affecting students, be able to engage and network with public figures, and take part in the fun stuff which happens at the University.

As someone who joined Warwick as a lost student, I can say for certain that being a FTO was truly been a monumental experience. It has allowed me to make friends with people who I would never have met, gave me the confidence and direction in life which I wouldn’t have had otherwise, and the opportunity to help give back to the wider Warwick community.

So, if you want access to these unique opportunities, gain employable skills, and make a real difference to the Warwick community, then I strongly encourage you to nominate yourself!

Ellie Martin - Sports Officer for Warwick SU from 2017-2018. Now a trainee solicitor in London working for Jones Day, a US law firm.

During my time as a sabbatical officer, I had the privilege of working alongside incredibly talented students and staff to enact real change for student communities. A particular fond memory of mine was starting a campaign from the ground up aimed at increasing diversity and inclusivity in sport. This campaign, called Reshaping Sport, went on to win a national award at British University College Sport, which is another fantastic national organisation that you can get involved in.

Not only are you able to make a real difference to student communities (both at Warwick and nationally), your position allows you to get involved in wider community initiatives for Coventry & Warwickshire. For example, I was given the opportunity to sit on a local ethics committee with Warwickshire police to discuss the safety and welfare of students on and off campus.

The amount of responsibility you have as an officer means that you develop invaluable skills that you normally would only start developing further into your career, such as the art of public speaking, large scale organisation, management skills and diplomacy. It was my experience advocating for students as an FTO and sitting on the board of the SU as a Trustee and Director, that secured me my training contract. You stand out from the crowd, as you have contributed to the successful running of a huge organisation and have the confidence to stand up in front of an audience and deliver speeches.

I would recommend to every student, regardless of what career you choose, to run for an FTO position. Not only does the role give you countless professional opportunities, it is incredibly fun and gives you the chance to make real lasting change for students. You make friends and connections for life. I couldn’t recommend the role highly enough. So - what are you waiting for? Get your campaign slogan ready and go for it!

Emily Dunford, Postgraduate Officer for Warwick SU from 2017-18 Currently PhD Researcher & Seminar Tutor, Theatre & Performance Studies.

Being a full-time officer provides you with a huge amount of skill development in a short time. I was fortunate enough to have been a part time officer and society exec member as well as having worked part time jobs, so I came to the role with a reasonable skill set, but officer training and then carrying out the role itself offered so many learning opportunities.

I spent so much time meeting students from across different areas of Warwick. It was rewarding to work alongside them, advocate for them, signpost support services, and make genuine friendships. It was a very sociable job.

I enjoyed campaigning on issues that I felt strongly about and believed would offer meaningful change to people's lives. Some campaigns focused on the whole student population while others focused primarily on postgraduates. I also worked with a wide group of tutors and students to campaign for fair treatment for postgraduate tutors.

The SU needs officers who want to help people, who want to advocate for students individually and collectively, and who can see situations in their wider context. You'll build skills and knowledge along the way. If you have an interest in higher education, working conditions, welfare, audience engagement, or in developing strategies with the short- and long-term in mind, then an SU Officer role could be something for you.

Alex Baker, Assistant Professor, University of Warwick. MChem Chemical Biology, 2017; PhD Chemistry, 2022. Postgraduate Research Science Faculty Representative, 2018-2021

Being a part-time officer was a great experience. In the role I actively engaged with a whole host of committees and working groups that changed the way students and staff work at Warwick. Some of the successes from my time in office were getting fairer contracts and leave for postgraduates and improving pastoral care for postgraduates.

Now as an academic at Warwick, and having worked as a part-time officer, I understand how large organisations run and why they make the decisions they do (and how to influence those decisions). This has empowered me to work with organisations beyond the university, in governance roles, to improve the experiences of those around me.

Madi Simcock-Brown, BA English Literature 2017, LGBTUA+ Officer 2016-2017, Software Engineer, Capgemini

Josie Throup, Employee Volunteering Coordinator at Bureau Veritas UK. BA English Literature and Creative Writing, 2016. Women’s Officer, 2015-16

I would thoroughly recommend being a part time officer at Warwick SU. I served as Women's officer in my second and third years at Warwick and I got a lot out of the experience.

I gained confidence in myself as a leader. I helped get a man fired who had been sexually harassing students on their way into University. I got 'Blurred Lines' banned from leisure centres in Manchester. I learned about the more vicious side of student activism too and got my fair share of backlash from sexists and feminists alike. I generally went around beating a self-righteous drum, trying to do things well, often failing, but learning a lot about the world and myself along the way.

The 'I Heart Consent' workshop team made a big impact on the University, and it's great to see our legacy is still alive today, with the We Get consent workshops available to undergraduates. Back in those days the inimitable Susie Cleverley used to send me to NUS conferences where I met interesting people, learned more about social justice and ate a lot of free pastries.

These days I work in corporate social responsibility, in a job I can trace back directly to my experiences at Warwick. If it hadn't been for Cat Turhan, then Welfare Officer, giving me a call back in 2016 to ask if I would stand for the position, my life would have turned out differently. I'm grateful for the experiences I had in that position and the impact they have had on my life to date.