Student blog

Have you ever thought about working for the Students' Union (SU)? The University of Sussex Students’ Union is an independent organisation that operates separately from the University. The SU represents all students at Sussex, and ensures our voices are heard and valued by the University. Through running student societies, events, and campaigns, the Union works to improve the student experience.

The SU at Sussex employs over 300 full-time and part-time staff. Every one of them helps the SU to work effectively for students. Read on to see if any of these roles might suit you!

Hospitality and retail

If you are looking for jobs where you can interact with customers daily, the SU offers a variety of options including working in bars, cafes and shops on campus such as:

Falmer Bar, Northfield Bar, Room 76 (Cafe), The Southern Co-operative and The Union Shop and Union-The Sussex Shop.

You will engage with customers regularly, handle transactions, resolve issues promptly, and promote products or services as needed. Working in the campus shops and bars will help you gain hands-on experience and develop transferable skills. Collaborating with colleagues to maintain a welcoming environment and enhance the overall customer experience will also be part of your role.

Overall, these roles provide valuable experiences applicable across different industries, making them rewarding career options for those who enjoy daily interactions with people. If you would like to stay updated with job vacancies, join the vacancy notification mailing list.

Student reps

There are many other jobs and committee positions such as student representatives that are available at the SU. A Student Rep acts as the voice of students within their course/department, gathering feedback and presenting it to the university to enact positive changes. They attend meetings, undergo training, and can specialise in areas like sustainability, gaining valuable skills and recognition. The student rep position is voluntary, but if you are elected to be a chair rep, you will be compensated for the additional work and forum attendance in representing your department in that role.

Jenny, a chair rep of the Media, Arts & Humanities department, says that one small step will lead you to a whole different world. “I never thought nominating myself as a course rep would lead me to be a chair rep of the school, be part of the student union education committee and give me a chance to attend the Student Experience Forum. The SU is a wonderful place to work with students and for students.”

Full and part-time officer roles

At USSU, full and part-time officers are working collaboratively. They are both elected by students, but for full-time officers, you will be taking a year out at the end of your course and get paid while part-time officers are voluntary roles and will be in addition to your studies.

Through annual autumn and spring elections, students elect executive committee officers. These roles work to enhance the student experience through different activities.

As a full-time officer such as Education and Employability Officer or Sports, Societies & Events Officer, you will be actively seeking students’ feedback and be the spokesperson for them. You will attend meetings like Student Experience forums, Student Union Education Committee meetings and student campaigns. By leading the events and 200+ students involved in the SU, you will gain incredible organisational skills. Alongside the skills you gain, you will be receiving a competitive salary of £25,811 per annum with lots of different perks including 10% off across Union outlets and discounted bus travel.

On 15th March, the SU’s new leadership election result was released. Check out your new student officers and keep track of their work report to be more engaged with them!

Part-time officers such as Postgraduate Taught Officer and LGBTQ+ Students Officer are voluntary roles but a perfect chance to represent specific student groups at Sussex. You will be working for a particular group of students. You will be also able to attend a variety of university meetings and forums. By collaborating with full-time officers and SU staff, you will have the opportunity to amplify dedicated students’ voices.

Do you want to be part of making many changes, especially for specific groups of students? Why not leverage your skills and knowledge as a part-time student officer?

The Students’ Union pursues four key values which are Respectful, Empowering, Progressive and Student-led. If those values resonate with you and want to contribute to building the future of Sussex, be part of the Students’ Union!

Jenny Choi studies Media and Communications. When not blogging or studying, she enjoys strolling around the Brighton Beach area.

Read about more jobs on campus in Jenny's posts about Becoming a Student Connector and Becoming a Student Ambassador

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