First Hand: Ambassadors share their Experience Working On-Campus
Getting a job after college is highly competitive and demanding, especially since previous experience is now a pre-requisite for hiring managers across the country. But, how does a full-time student gain the necessary experience? Sure, Internships are a great option, but they can be just as competitive as landing a full-time position. Some internships are also unpaid, leaving students struggling to choose between working hourly as a camp counselor or for free as a marketing intern. Luckily, that doesn’t have to be the case anymore.
Brand Ambassadors; You may think these are just celebrities who put #ad after they post about a company, but the reality is that anyone can be a brand ambassador. Companies across the globe are trying to reach new markets, and with millions of students, the college market is incredibly desirable. So, what does that mean for students? Brands want to hire on-campus representatives that will engage the college market and interact with fellow students to highlight the benefits of their product or service. This brings in a plethora of new opportunities to gain experience, all while on campus during the semester.
Brands understand the workload and craziness that college can bring, so ambassador schedules are flexible, enabling success without jeopardizing your status academically. As an ambassador for Menlo Club at Syracuse, Chris Finkelstein was able to create his own hours because “each week really varied based upon [his] schedule.” The freedom to work around your schedule is a benefit that most jobs don’t afford students. Campus dining and other opportunities can be time consuming and detrimental to a heavy workload, but ambassadors are able to avoid that problem all together. Although the time commitment may be less than traditional forms of college employment, the experience gained throughout is exponentially more valuable.
Students are always in need of experience, but the issue is finding it. Brand ambassadors can study their desired field while simultaneously gaining relevant experience. This real-world experience is second to none, giving ambassadors a real leg-up on their fellow students when it comes time to apply to internships and full time positions (plus you get paid)! Lila Currie, an ambassador for Brooks Brothers at Princeton, says her ambassadorship has “become a really marketable experience on my resume and in job interviews.” These talking points can be the difference between getting hired or not, so why wouldn’t you want to be an ambassador?
College equips us with everything we need to succeed, except the real-world experience. Ambassadorships allow students the opportunity to work towards their degree while earning money and much needed skills. The difference between you and your dream job could be that last highlight on your resume, so why not become a brand ambassador?
Interested in becoming an ambassador? Apply here
