Student Initiatives: What they are and their benefits to your career

Generally, student initiatives are student-led projects that are mostly short-term and focus on certain fields like sport, culture, knowledge, health, civic education, among others. Most students spend a lot of time in school. However, only a few know that it is possible to gain a lot from experience from their studies. Opportunities can be offered to young talented students where commitments are motivated. It is important to note that different universities have different options for student initiatives and different processes on how to join. So be sure to get as much information as possible as you research your university or college of choice.   

Just like a first job or internship, you can use initiatives like a non-profit project, campus newspaper, or student consulting to gain experiences that go hand in hand with your career.

Benefits of Student Initiatives for Your Personal and Career Life

While your main focus in university or college is to successfully graduate on your chosen course, bear in mind that you are a whole human being with interests and other talents. A wholesome university experience is good for you in the following ways; 

Fosters Collaboration Skills

Teamwork is a critical skill in most companies. Putting yourself in situations that require you to work well with others, and harness the skills required to make a project successful is important. You will need to learn how to find appropriate roles and objectively assess your skills. You will also learn to appreciate the contribution of other team members as much as your own and understand the importance of teamwork.

You Discover New Abilities and Learn to Trust Them

Most student initiatives require you to step out of your comfort zone to achieve success. You will need to conduct research, gather information, and present it to other participants. Some initiatives might also involve physical activity. As you take part in projects, you sharpen your observation, teamwork, analytical skills and your confidence grows.

Helps You Experiment with Your Knowledge

As a student, it is advisable to look out for opportunities that allow you to put your knowledge into practice. Initiatives help you gain valuable experience in planning and implementing a project plan. They provide an avenue for you and fellow students to practice what you have learned and gather important learnings. Some initiatives will also entail working with real companies, which provides a real-life working environment for students. 

See here how to present initiatives in your resume.

Helps You Expand Your Network.

By taking part in initiatives within your college or university, you get to meet different students from different programs with similar interests and passions. This allows you to make contacts that help you achieve short and long-term goals. A well-maintained network may prove valuable for your career in the future.  

Helps You to Broaden Your Horizon.

The fact that you meet students from different disciplines while working on a project, you get a whole new stimulus. Exposure to something different from your usual course curriculum also helps you gain perspective on different important topics and areas of interest. For instance, you will better understand how various departments of a business work together, the interdependence that exists between sectors, and how to communicate your objectives efficiently.

You Learn from Your Mistakes 

Mistakes and failures are an opportunity to improve your skills and perspective. Trying out new things will expose you to both success and sometimes failings. You learn to become resilient and accept mistakes as part of learning and growing in your field. It also helps you to identify your strengths and weaknesses and how you can improve. Failure is sometimes the fuel to future success.

You Build Trust

Working with others requires a high sense of trust and commitment to ensure that projects are successful. Initiatives in universities help you build trust with people you work with and mirror the kind of commitment required in the workplace to hit targets and drive business goals. It is also an important stage to create mentorship relationships with professors as they guide you through the projects you are undertaking.

Initiatives Drive You Out of Your Comfort Zone

Joining a student initiative helps you get out of your comfort zone and involve in different activities which assist in building your confidence, and engaging with others within the university and externally. This also helps you acquire important experience that can prove valuable in your future career. 

Initiatives are Fun

Your participation in university initiatives will be fun since you will be involved in activities that are enjoyable and you are passionate about. This is a good stress reliever from the much work that studies come with. You might also discover new interests and hobbies as you undertake initiative tasks and interact with other students and faculty. 

Helps you Become Diversity Aware

Many groups and clubs consist of different people from different ethnicities. You will most likely interact with people from various backgrounds and with different perspectives. You will have access to resources and explore other cultures. Keeping an open mind and maintaining professionalism will help you appreciate the diversity in your interactions.