If you are a busy college student, chances are, you crave your free time. More importantly, you are probably craving the day when they call out your name and hand you the degree you have been working so tirelessly to receive.
In my experiences, there are two types of college students. There are the go to class, go to work, go home types, and then there are the student involvement types, the go-getters. Within the latter group, there are select students who decide to go above and beyond and become the leaders.
It is said that students who have leadership experience in college are more likely to get hired by larger companies because the employers see potential for rising leaders to continue the progress. Adding just one student organization to your resume can increase your chances of getting hired by 10 percent.
Let me put this into perspective for you. Student A—let's call her Allie—and Student B—say his name is Bryan—both have the same interests, skills, and job experience for a job opening. Allie hasn't really been involved on campus; she is involved with her studies and works part-time on-campus. Bryan is involved in two student organizations, Greek life, works the same on-campus job, and maintains a GPA comparable to Allie's. He has also moved up in leadership in his organizations, showing commitment, the ability to be proactive, and personal growth.
Who do you think is going to get the job?
It's not hard to see the benefits of putting yourself out there and building your social and personal repertoire. Another really important aspect to think about when thinking about getting involved is networking. Every person you meet has the potential to find a job opportunity for you in the future. Also, many organizations have advisors who watch over your work, and will, more likely than not, write you a letter of recommendation for future endeavors.
There are many different types of organizations and leadership opportunities on college campuses these days—academic honors organizations, professional organizations, social organizations, sports teams, entertainment programs, and student government, in example. All of these are there for you take advantage of.
And for those of you scared to put yourself out there, you are not alone. If you can't find a club that fits well with your interests, visit your student life and leadership office and discuss the steps for creating one. That looks even better on a resume, and you will feel so much more connected to your campus.
And, on the off chance that you do just want to be one of those go to class, go to work, go home types of students, well, I wish you well. Say hi to Netflix for me, I sure do miss it.
It's your experience, you decide what to make of it.
