Ex-Elected Officer Q&A: Tom Plant

Nominations to become an Elected Officer for the next academic year are NOW OPEN. You can nominate yourself for one of five roles: 

• Welfare Officer
• Development Officer 
• Learning Experience Officer
• Academic Representation Officer
• Democracy and Campaigns Officer

Ever wondered what it’s like to work at the Union as an Elected Officer? We’ve talked to some of our ex-Elected Officers to see what they enjoyed most about the role and how it helped them through university and later in life! 

- Tom Plant, ex-Officer (VP Activities)

What was your favourite part about being an Elected Officer?

It was nice to have my opinion really valued whilst at the Union and having all the staff member there to support us in our goals.

Being given the chance to develop leadership skills was amazing and getting work in a team of other people of a very similar age is something quite unique and really great.

What attracted you to the role?

It just seemed like an amazing opportunity. I loved the idea of running an election campaign and really enjoyed doing it. I knew it would be a great chance to get leadership experience as well as have a positive impact on student experience.

What was your favourite project to work on?

The Pride Event we organised. It was a new event and the first I worked on that the other officers weren't involved in as much. There were things I could have done much differently (better) but thanks to the projects team, the event actually went really well.

What is the most rewarding part about being an Elected Officer?

Getting to work on your manifesto aims through out the year and see them through from planning to completion. It was really amazing to see the points that got you elected actually put into place.

What is your favourite memory of being part of the Union?

I really enjoyed Fresher's Fayre. Getting to speak to students from all the different student groups was so interesting. It was the first main opportunity to work with the whole Union team and meet lots of students which is what the job is all about.

As you can see being an Elected Officer is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in a unique workplace, giving you a kickstart to your CV and real and useful skills to develop once you finish your time at UoP! You could be the next Tom!

All you need to do is Nominate yourself!

Nominations are OPEN NOW!

Nominations close on 18th February at 4pm so act fast!

If you have any questions, please send them straight to our elections team at elections@upsu.net.