How to make your club involvement meaningful
This post was written by Jacob Vick ’15, CCD Peer Career Ambassador.
I knew right when I started at Babson my first year that I needed to go out and get more involved on campus but I wasn’t really sure how to go about it or what the real opportunities were. I’ve had an amazing experience building out my involvement in the Babson Investment Banking Association and the Center for Career Development, so here is some of my advice for those of you just starting to explore the campus.
Get ready to build
When I first joined the Babson Investment Banking Association’s e-board the club was nothing like it is now. In just two short years we have gone from having difficulty with attendance at events to building a sold out conference for the CEO of Goldman Sachs, creating a small community connected alumni and students with the Mentorship program, and expanding to become the largest club on campus. Regardless of where you start your club role, there is always going to be an opportunity to build and grow, and create something meaningful. The school will support you, but you’ve got to be ready to put your heart into it.
Make a decision
While generally you do want to take the opportunity early on to reach out to other clubs and attend events, but as you get further into the process and decide you want to step up and be a leader, it is time to find your niche. Whether that means the Babson Dance Ensemble or the Babson Apprentice Fund, don’t allow yourself to get over stretched. As a leader you have to deliver. Find the best opportunity and put all your focus into making it something that you are proud to talk about in an interview.
Find your team
There is no way around it, Babson College is team based. Whether it is making it through a class, FME, or growing a club; your team is going to be critical in making something special. You aren’t looking for friends or the best resume. You are looking for people who can deliver, who share a passion, and understand the vision. When you have people who share this, goals are reached and amazing relationships are made.
I’ve only gotten the chance to talk about one small area of the first year experience, but for more please check out this article. We are proud to have Babson CCD Director, Megan Houlker quoted in the piece and I believe to it is a great article to get some more suggestions for your first year, http://www.thechoiceblog.com/2014/10/six-behaviors-to-change-that-will-help.html.