Student Voice

Here's Jacob Jefferson to tell us more about his experience as Democracy & Development Officer at Warwick SU in 2021/22.

Here’s Balraj to tell us more about his experience as Sports Officer in 2018/19 – click on the video to find out more.

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

It (being a PTO) was a valuable experience of working in an organisation that affects a lot of people. You learn vital skills - like making the most of meetings and engaging stakeholders - which I've found useful in a range of workplaces, from the charity sector and start-ups to a global corporation.

It's a great opportunity to represent your fellow students and have an input on SU policy and current campaigns.

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.