One of the things that made my experience at SUNY Oswego incredible was getting involved in student clubs and organizations. With well over 100 of them, it’s very easy for students to find a club that interests them. I joined WNYO, the campus radio station as well as WTOP, the campus TV station. I joined both clubs during my first week on campus and stuck with them ever since.
During my four years at both of these clubs, I held leadership positions, met new people, and learned incredibly valuable skills which will help me in the real world. About half of my resume is full of the experiences I gained through the organizations. I get asked all the time by both incoming and current students about how to get involved early on. The start of each semester is always a new beginning. Here are three tips which helped me and others I know:
1. Attend the General Interest Meeting:
It seems pretty obvious, but attending a club’s general interest meeting at the start of the semester is very much crucial to getting involved. Every club has one. These meetings explain what the club is about and how to get involved. The hardest part about this is finding out when and where the meetings are and attending them. If you’re interested in a certain club, find their social media pages, look out for fliers hanging around campus, or ask an existing member. These are three surefire ways to get the information regarding the general interest meeting. Upon attending, how to get involved is explained.
2. Attend an Event:
So whether or not you attended a general interest meeting, if you see advertisements for events around campus for a club you’re interested in, attend it. Upon attending the event, you can decide whether or not the club is right for you as you’ll be meeting its members and participating in the club’s activities. If you’re not already a member, joining is usually as easy as asking a member how to get involved. If the club has an office like the campus media organizations do, stop by and ask how you can get involved. You will always get your questions answered.
3. Show Up:
I had written a post months ago about the power of showing up. Being present and attending all events or executing your responsibilities is the most important thing you can do as a new member of a club or organization. The more you attend events and meetings as well as fulfill duties, the more people you meet and the more likely you become trusted with a leadership position in the future. Show that you are responsible and care about the club.
Bonus Tip:
As part of WTOP 10, I am aware that are over 30 leaderships positions within it, some of which do not get filled at the start of a new year. These positions range in many different areas. I’m sure there are more clubs with empty leadership positions at the start of the year too.
It doesn’t hurt to ask if there are any free positions. You may be surprised by what the response is. If there are none available, find a leadership position you like and let the person holding it know you’re interested in one day taking their place. This is smart as the person may allow you to shadow them and it could lead you to eventually taking their place. Leadership positions in a club are awesome resume builders and can easily lead to internships and jobs in the future.