Leadership positions through VCE - worthwhile?

[Joseph41]

It's coming up to that time of year where schools start thinking about their plans for the following year. Naturally, this includes a new round of student leaders, many of whom will come from Years 11 and 12.

If you're currently in Year 10, you might be considering - perhaps strongly - the possibility of applying for one of these positions. Whether you end up applying in Year 11, Year 12 or both, leadership positions are full of benefits and opportunities.


BENEFITS OF A LEADERSHIP ROLE THROUGH VCE:

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1. Develop your "soft skills"
Soft skills are things like empathy and communication. We actually have an entire article on soft skills, which you can find here, such is their importance.

Soft skills will benefit you in pretty much literally any profession you end up working in. You might also hear of "transferrable" skills, which are essentially the same thing. Basically, the idea is that you build up a skill set that will be useful across a whole range of situations, and there is, perhaps, no better way of doing this than by putting yourself out there to lead. You'll be faced with many situations you may not have faced before, and this is, genuinely, a good thing.

2. Contribute back to your school, and form a deeper connection to your school
After spending many years at a school, you might actually feel as though you want to be more actively involved in the school community. For me, I felt pretty distant from my school until about Year 10, when I started feeling more of a connection. This grew gradually, and by the time the end of Year 12 rolled around, I was really, really grateful that I became more involved in leadership activities.

Teachers and the wider staff put in so many hours behind the scenes, and it's nice to become closer to them as a leader of the student body.

3. Make friendships
Or, indeed, strengthen existing ones. I was college vice-captain of my school, and ended up being very close with the other vice-captain and two captains. We had the shared context of working together to improve the school, and shared very many laughs in meetings and other events throughout VCE. There was a sense of togetherness that came with the positions, and this was a really fantastic thing.

Granted, I was probably lucky insofar as I genuinely got on with those other students, but leadership positions in general give you the opportunity to reach out, to forge new friendships, and to expand the number and variety of people with whom you interact on a day-to-day basis. Big win. 👌

4. Genuinely make a difference
As a student leader, you will be a bridge of sorts between the student body, and the staff and wider school community. You'll be able to represent the genuine wishes and desires of your cohort and, in some instances, instigate change. There are countless examples of students coming together to present something to the school.

Student leadership teams also often head initiatives for charity etc., where some very considerable funds or exposure can be raised for excellent, excellent causes. That's a fantastic thing to be involved in.

5. It's great for the CV!
Let's be honest: having a leadership position on your CV can do wonders for future employment, scholarships, and a whole range of other things. Being elected to a leadership post is indication that you have what it takes to be industrious, resilient, and strong, and these are all traits in demand in the workforce (see our earlier discussion on soft skills).

I used my school leadership position in applications for uni scholarships and jobs, and my experience gave me demonstrative examples to use when prompted. For example, if you say in an interview one of your qualities is leading others, a logical follow-up question is, "what's an example of when you've done this?" With your leadership experience, you'll have a treasure trove of examples to use - and these are always much more impressive than an empty "I'm a good leader" claim.

In this way, leadership positions can lead to other opportunities. For example, my university runs a leadership program. It's quite a prestigious thing to get into, and certainly not everybody who applies is successful. Those are deemed favourably most likely have previous examples of leadership positions and traits, so starting early (that is, through high school) puts you in an excellent position in situations like these.

WHAT IF YOU'RE UNSURE?

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"I don't really know if I want to lead."
No stress - that alone doesn't mean you wouldn't make a great leader. I think the hesitancy is understandable, but it's just one of those things where, unless you give it a go, you'll never know if it's for you or not.

I remember making elaborate lists of pros and cons as to whether I should apply for school captain before realising that, somewhere deep in my gut, I'd regret it if I didn't at least give it a crack. I'm glad I came to that realisation because now, some years later, I think I definitely would regret it had I not applied.

Regardless, you might like to speak to those around you, and those who know you best. Talk it out with your parents, siblings, friends, teachers - they'll all have their unique perspectives.

"I've never had a leadership position before."
No better reason to apply, then! If you keep putting things off just because you've never done them before, going into uni and then the workforce etc. is going to be a real challenge. A big part of entering VCE is about taking on new challenges, and it might just so happen that pursuing a leadership role is one of those challenges.

It's very unlikely you'll be excluded from the conversation just because you've never held a formal leadership title. And that's the thing - in reality, you probably have led, even if you don't know it or it wasn't formalised. Whether in sporting clubs, volunteering activities, or just day-to-day events, you probably lead all the time. You can use these experiences to your advantage when it comes to the application process (see below).

"I don't want to burden myself during VCE."
This is a genuine concern, and like, fair enough - you might just want to focus exclusively on your studies. But at the end of the day, your results, ATAR etc. really only make up part of your VCE experience. There's very genuinely so much more to it. Still, this is a decision only you can make. On the assumption you're going into Year 11 next year, though, this seems the perfect opportunities to test the waters, and to see if you can sufficiently balance your leadership position with, y'know, everything else.

TIPS FOR THE APPLICATION PROCESS

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1. Genuineness is a huge factor
Try to make your application personal, and don't just write what you think whomever's reading it will want to hear. One thing that's very obvious is when people aren't being genuine. If you're asked about why you want the leadership position, be honest (within reason - haha). Your teachers will know you, so they'll also be able to tell if you're being truthful, or just putting on a show.

If you're asked about what you want to change, or your plans or visions, this is your chance to shine. If you think carefully about your application, and write or explain what it is you want to do, why, and also how (a big one), you're putting yourself in a really fantastic position. There's nothing worse than going into an interview unprepared, or trying to wing a written application the night it's due. Take some time to think through it properly.

2. If you have to present a speech...
... then be mindful of the audience.

Some speeches are to fellow students, some are to teachers, some are to both. Obviously, your tone will probably change a little depending on who's listening, and you should keep this in mind. Of course, that's not to say that you should fill your entire speech to your peers with jokes and gags; for the most part, people will vote for who they genuinely think will do the best job for them. Make your direction and intentions clear, but don't make things too formal unless the situation calls for it.

3. Positivity goes a long way
As does enthusiasm, as does joviality. Very genuinely, a smile at the start of an interview or speech can make a big difference. Attitude is a great tool - remember to use it!

P.S. If you want some more advice on being a good leader, check out this excellent thread.