Monday 28-02-2022 - 16:44

Stanford, former Union Affairs Officer at Bristol SU, joins us for an elections Q&A special! We asked Stanford all of the big questions, from why he stood for an elected position to how the role has helped him professionally.  

Why did you stand to be an elected SU representative?  

Initially it was just because I was a member of several societies and saw some common complaints between them – I thought it would be a good way to help them out! I grew to be very passionate about Bristol students and their issues and that was a big driving force during my time in post. 

What impact did you have during your term?  

I mainly worked on extracurricular stuff - room bookings, changes to Senate House, microwaves, that sort of thing - but there were too many random things to list, across multiple teams! The SU Living Room was a passion project and a personal highlight at the time. Honestly, the sky is the limit if you have time and energy to give, I feel like I worked on 0.0001% of the possible things a sabb could! 

Shout out to the International Officer role as that was so many years in the making before and after the teams I was part of! 

What did you enjoy most about being an elected SU representative? 

Making changes and improvements for people I cared about, and being in an exciting and varied environment where I learned new things every hour! 

What was most challenging about being an elected SU representative? 

It kind of consumed my life lol, I basically lived at the SU. But that was because it made me care about the work I was doing, which I really value. I truly loved the job, and you literally have a time limit on how long you can do it so it's impossible to give decades away.  

What skills did you gain as an elected SU representative? 

More than anything, I became a better communicator. 

I feel comfortable talking to and in front of all sorts of people, and have a lot more confidence in myself! And I learned to truly love the exclamation mark! 

What advice would you give any prospective candidates? 

You get out what you put in, so don't half-ass it! Look after yourself but put a lot of effort in from campaign week right till the end of your term and you can have a genuinely one-of-a-kind experience. I know I did (vom) 

Oh and if you're interested but unsure, just go for it. You won't regret it ❤️  

How did being an elected SU representative help you professionally?  

It honestly helped me so much that I don't know if I'd have a job if I hadn't done it which, whilst kinda bleak, says a lot about the personal development involved!! I feel like it's the only reason I'm able to be 'a professional' and I've called on my sabb experiences in some way in every job I've had since, especially in interviews, meetings and presentations which are pretty much everywhere you look! 

Don't forget to vote for who you would like to see represent you!  

Voting is open between 8- 10 March. 

You can find out more information, including how to vote, here.