A Guide to Making the Most of Your Clubs

Connect with like minds, gain valuable experience and have a blast

Via mmolinari

By: Herbert Lui, Staff Writer

Clubs week is awesome. Anyone that knows me knows that one of my favourite times of year is clubs week. (Not an exaggeration.) It’s a great way to re-connect with old friends and learn more about their interests and passions. At the same time, it’s also a wonderful time to meet new friends and learn more about what they do.

For all of you unfamiliar with clubs week: universities and colleges typically hold an event where students can a taste of each and every club in one convenient location. This week-long event has club executives and leaders connecting with all sorts of students interested in their club. Like minds connect with like minds, and sometimes lifetime friendships are kindled at clubs week.

Depending on how clubs at your school work, you either pay to register at the end of clubs week, or at the first general meeting of each club. Either way, most schools require that you pay a small fee to join the club, to carry on club operations. As a student, I was interested in getting the most bang for my buck, and I’m interested in helping you do the same.

1. Interview for an Executive Position

The best way to get the most thorough club experience is to be on the other side of the club – the side that organizes and runs events. This means applying for an executive position, so that you can:

Meet the rest of the executive team, who are student leaders in your field of interest. Not only do they make for great friends, they also offer advice and encouragement that you might not get otherwise. Plus, you might run into them in your field when you’ve graduated.
Connect with club members, and gain valuable experience in organizing events and expertise in whatever your club does. For example, with social clubs, you might have to hustle and sell tickets to club events. With academic clubs, you might have to lead seminars or get in touch with industry professionals. The possibilities are endless!
Gain relevant experience to show future employers. A lot of organizations look at extracurricular experience. Here’s your chance to demonstrate to these recruiters what you’re capable of doing!

I know that not all of you think you’re the most gung-ho leader or the most confident interviewee, but not all clubs are necessarily looking for that type of person. You might think you’re a bit inexperienced, but maybe the club is looking for a blank slate to teach and pass their experience on to. (Not to call you a blank slate…)

Besides, interviewing itself can be a great experience as well. You won’t leave empty-handed: worst-case scenario, you’ll end up with an idea of what kind of questions that specific club asks, what kind of person they’re looking for, and you’ll have made an impression on each of the interviewers. If they don’t remember you the next time you bump into them, it’ll be more likely that they’ll remember you after you re-introduce yourself.

2. Attend all club events

One of the most crucial aspects to being an executive member is the fact that they are forced to attend all events. This is how they naturally bond. Luckily for you, this essential trait can be replicated whether you are executive or not if you go to every event and connect with the club. Events are great ways to connect and reconnect with your fellow club members and the executive team.