Joining a student society whilst at University will have a positive and beneficial impact both on your social life and the boost it will give to your employability when you graduate. But with the hundreds of societies available, from the wacky Hagrid’s Beard Appreciation Society through to the more serious Debating Society, which ones should you actually join and which ones do employers favour? Pinning this down can be a tricky thing, especially as most graduate employers generally say that it’s the skills and experience gleaned instead of the specific society joined. But we reckon there are still some societies that really stand out, make your CV glow and give you something really gritty to talk about in job applications and during interviews.
1) The subject-based society
If you’re only going to join one society it has to be the society of your chosen study subject. So if you’re studying English, join the English Society. Studying Chemical Engineering? Then join that one. Whatever subject you’re doing there’s almost guaranteed to be a society for it. If there isn’t, starting one shows great initiative! Joining a subject-based society brings heaps of advantages. You’ll meet like-minded people and increase your circle of friends. But importantly for employers, it’ll show that you have an interest in your chosen subject beyond the degree classification on your certificate and show you off as a well-rounded individual with active interest. In other words, someone who they actually want to employ!
2) The debating society
Many consider the debating society as the grandmaster of University clubs and societies. Being able to stand up in a crowd and argue your point in a sophisticated and persuasive way is an invaluable skill that employers like to see in graduates. Sound scary? Give it a go. Even if you don’t raise your hand during the first few sessions your participation will be recognised by employers: they’ll consider you as more likely to be open-minded and be both rational and logical.
Being a member of a sports club is another thing employers really look for in graduates when hiring. Regardless of the sport, it shows you’re a team-player, are a well-rounded individual with interests outside of study and employers are more likely to see you as motivated and confident. If you can become team captain or take on another role of responsibility all the better; employers actively seek out graduates who are proven team leaders.
4) Volunteering societies
Most graduate employers place a lot of value on their commitment to improve society in some way and to be a positive role model in the corporate world. If you can show that you gave away a little of your time to help those less fortunate than yourself or that you made a positive difference in the community then you’ll stand out from the crowd. Volunteering also shows that you’re up for improving yourself and throwing yourself in the deep end of a challenge and gives you something really positive to talk about to employers during the crucial job application process.
5) ‘Career-related’ society
If you have chosen what kind of career path you would like to go down make a point of joining up to its related society. For example, if your dream is to be a journalist, joining the Journalism Society, signing up to the Media Society or writing for the student newspaper are all fantastic ways of proving that you’re prepared to go the extra mile to employers. It also shows that you take an active interest in your personal and professional development, something graduate employers look our for in prospective employees. Joining a society can make a big difference when it comes to trying to secure that dream job. The societies we’ve chosen are our pick of the bunch but there are plenty more which will make you stand out from the crowd. Whichever societies you decide during University the point is to to show off your achievements, skills and knowledge gained. As long as you join societies which interest you, fit in somewhere with your career path and take an active, positive role in them then you’ll be off to a flying start when you graduate and start searching for that all important first job. Oh, and if you are a fan of Hagrid’s beard by all means join the Hagrid’s Beard Appreciation Society. Just don’t expect employers to appreciate it as much as you do!
Images via brizzlebornandbred on Flickr
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