Stand out from the crowd
Gaining a degree is an amazing achievement but there is quite a competitive world out there!
So, how
do you go
from this 
to this??? 
We could make sure that we get the best grades that we can...but what does that say about our skills and abilities on a practical level??!
This is where volunteering can make a big difference to how you stand out but also support your local community. Here is a cute video that exemplifies just that!!
Volunteer with local organisations
There are plenty of charities out there, looking for local support. Some of them, do just look for somebody to man their shop or to fundraise on their behalf but if you keep looking, you will find opportunities to create branding, work with young people and the elderly, work with animals and plenty more! These opportunities provide you with actual experience in a job that will help you make your CV standout.
Where do I look? 
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You will find some opportunities posted in My Career Enriched . These change all the time so check the platform regularly!
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In Cumbria, the best place to find opportunities, would be to visit the Cumbria CVS site . They have a whole host of local opportunities and the organisation also sends out vacancy newsletters to all of their registered volunteers
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If you are in Lancashire, visit the the Lancashire Volunteer Partnership. This is a great site that allows to filter opportunities by location and opportunity type
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The City of London site lists a number of links for sourcing a variety of opportunities for those of you studying in the South
Volunteer with UCSU
Academic Reps - if you are interested in quality, quality standards and supporting others, this is an opportunity right in your class! The opportunity will give you a chance to showcase the ability to synthesize information, negotiate, present and a whole lot more. This is how programmes of study are shaped and improved by student experiences.
Rep roles usually run for an academic year and new reps are nominated in their class in September/October. If you want more information about the role e-mail studentvoice@cumbria.ac.uk.
Campus Reps - is your campus just fab or could you add something to it that would make it even better? Do you have access to all the facilities that you need to study or is there something missing? These are just some of the questions that campus reps do ask with the aim of bringing about changes that benefit all students on campus. The opportunity also gives you a chance to shape the work of the Union and work side by side with other representatives and the UCSU Officers.
These roles are accessed via election and nominations for these will open on 31st January. From that date onwards we will be going around different campuses to chat to students about these positions, so if you are interested, follow us on social media and come out and find us!
Group leaders - student-led groups encourage students to use management, risk management, event planning and people skills in a safe and fun setting. You can either set up a totally new group or become the new leadership of an existing one.
Current groups will be looking for new leadership around March so if you have an interest in taking over a particular group or would like to set a new one up for the next academic year, get in touch with studentgroups@cumbria.ac.uk.
Ad-hoc UCSU support - your Union is a registered charity and we also welcome a helping hand. We often require videographers, article writers, photographers, PR experts...almost any skill goes! If you would be interested in supporting us in this way, please e-mail one of the Officers or our central inbox student.union@cumbria.ac.uk
Volunteer abroad
This can be a really rewarding experience that widens the perspective of your chosen career by experiencing it in a completely different environment. We cannot give advice on which opportunity to choose but there many organisations out there who do provide good quality, ethical volunteering. Our advice is - check out our pages and do a little bit of research, before you sign up on the dotted line.
Did you know that there is funding available for students who volunteer abroad?
Why not make the most of this Summer and start looking for your volunteering opportunity now! Follow the link above for full details regarding the application process and the award that you might receive.
If you have any questions about this or volunteering in general, get in touch with your Activities Officer.
