Extra, extra: the benefits of extracurricular activity

Jessica Broadbent made the most of her final year at University by taking on extracurricular activities and any opportunities which came her way, helping her achieve work post-graduation. 

As a fourth-year student in the Strathclyde Business School, I have really made the most of my final year. I have achieved this through taking advantage of my extra curriculars and exciting opportunities I have been invited to this year which have all helped me to network with industry professionals, develop my skillset and ultimately enabled me to secure my upcoming graduate role. 

This past year I have taken on the role of Social Media Manager for Strathclyde Tennis and the role of President for the Strathclyde Marketing Society alongside my studies and competing in Tennis and Ultimate Frisbee tournaments. In my role of Social Media Manager, I have been able to put my theoretical class learnings and creative abilities into practice through creating informative, fun and engaging content that inspires people to play sports. This role challenged me to manage a social media page and implement a social media schedule to ensure that all of the clubs' activities were advertised effectively and in a timely manner which is essential within a marketing related career. 

Furthermore, as President of the Strathclyde Marketing Society I have also been able to implement my knowledge to lead and build a marketing community that helps students to develop their skills, network with industry professionals and stand out to future employers. This year we have hosted a variety of events including a creative brief writing workshop, internship talks, LinkedIn profile picture sessions, a marketing careers fair and several fun social events including a ceilidh, sub crawl and scavenger hunt. These events allowed our members to network with a vast array of speakers from diverse marketing backgrounds to gain tips and tricks on how to begin a career in marketing. 

The society is open to all Strathclyde students and there is the opportunity for our members to attend The Marketing Society Scotland events at a heavily discounted price and be invited to select events such as judging award-winning campaigns, digital day and their end of year gathering which I and Oliver Cameron - who is next year's President - attended last week. 

Their end of year event involved several student-led societies delivering presentations on their progress and explaining ways in which they need assistance to achieve their goals. We both enjoyed delivering our presentation and hearing from the other speakers as it was a great way for us both to reflect on our work this past year and to take inspiration and form collaborations and new connections for next year. 

Overall, I have really enjoyed my final year, and my experience within the societies at Strathclyde has been a definite highlight of my University journey. During these last four years - from competing in tournaments, to delivering professional presentations and going on weekends away - I have met so many amazing people and formed life-long friendships and memories that have allowed me to grow so much as a person and be ready to enter the working world.  

I would say to anyone looking to get more involved within University life you should join a society or multiple societies. It does not matter if you are bad at the sport or have little knowledge on a topic as this is how you grow and develop new skills which may lead to exciting adventures and opportunities in the future. 

About Jessica Broadbent

Jessica Broadbent is a Marketing and Business Enterprise student in her final year at Strathclyde Business School.