Go Connect June. 2014 | Page 8

Volunteering is

Global

Ben Hall - Law Student, 3rd Year

Ben has been a Go Connect volunteer for 3 years! He has assisted with large scale events such as Chinese New Year and the annual International Culture Festival which had over 1,000 people attending.

You don't need to leave the campus to have an International Experience....

More and more Graduate employers are looking for students with International experience. Why? Well it's simple. An International experience gives students the tools and opportunities to communicate effectively, develop people management skills and importantly network!

Here at the University of Hull's Go Connect Network we provide opportunities for students to achieve an international experience without even leaving the campus! Our volunteer roles are catered to all students on campus wishing to develop their skills and get a head start in the graduate race. We not only provide opportunities to develop communication, networking and leadership skills but also provide mentoring and development plans for students to achieve their goals.

Every student volunteer receives an in-depth Development Portfolio to support their development, which details the 6 key skills every volunteer can achieve in the role. These are Communication / Critical Thinking / Leadership / Networking / Enterprise / Research. Every volunteer has the opportunity to develop their experience of these skills throughout the year with the Go Connect team. These are an important part of every volunteers development.

These skills categories includes both verbal and written skills. Undertaking this role should equip you with the ability to describe your work succinctly and clearly to others; to present your skills effectively to an audience at interviews and seminars and to answer questions and further develop ideas both verbally and in writing for job interviews and applications.

Volunteering is itself an exercise in critical thinking, and the best evidence you will have that you have attained this skill is your successful practice in activities. However, there will be many steps on the way to reaching this milestone that will function as evidence of critical thinking skills as well. Interaction with students will assist you in honing critical thinking skills, as well as your communication skills.

Volunteers receive a certificate of recognition, an award and extra Career workshops designed to help nurture the experiences learnt along the way. They are also able to use this role to enter into the Hull Award and receive further recognition from the University. Volunteering with Go Connect is a great way to boost your CV and develop your skills for the future.

Email [email protected] to find out more!

Raluca Nechita - Sociology, 3rd Year

Raluca has been involved with Go Connect for 2 years and has been a volunteer for all our International Welcome Weeks, supporting & welcoming in over 1500 students to Hull. She now works in the International Office supporting our International Students.