STUDENT AMBASSADOR ROLE DESCRIPTOR

GENER A L R EQUIR EMENT S

• Volunteering as a Student Ambassador is very flexible! You can commit to set
hours each week or join us on a more flexible basis. Any time you can give helps
to support students who are entering into education and training.
• As the BPS is a diverse forward-thinking employer, we strongly encourage
individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment, who are neurodivergent
and who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background.
• If you require reasonable adjustments to be made throughout your role as a
Student Ambassador, please do let us know.
• A BPS Student Ambassador will act as a advocate on behalf of the BPS to
share psychology career related advice and resources to their fellow psychology
students.
• This is an unpaid voluntary role but your BPS student membership fees are
covered during your time in the role. Being a Volunteer Student Ambassador is
a great opportunity to shape the future of the discipline while gaining valuable
skills. This includes articulating the value and impact of psychology and gaining
experience in wider workplace opportunities such as supporting the delivery of
psychologically based education programmes and beyond. This is a recognised
role you will be able to add to your CV, highlighting not only your experience
volunteering for a professional body, but also the transferable skills you will gain.
• If you want to find out more about BPS membership, look here!
• The BPS will host regular national forums where you can meet and network with
other ambassadors. There will also be an annual national ambassador forum
where ambassadors will come together to share knowledge and best practice,
and celebrate your successful year.
As Student Ambassador we will expect you to:
• Attend the monthly drop-in session with the BPS Careers Team wherever
possible, these give you the chance to meet other ambassadors and share ideas.
• Link up with your local branch, attend meetings and take on
duties your branch suggests.
• Log into the shared platform site (such as MS Teams), at least weekly, to ensure
you are keeping up to date with all relevant activities.
• Take part in any training required for personal development within your role.
• Follow the advice we provide to you in relation to Health and Safety and
Safeguarding.

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As a Student Ambassador we want you to be able to bring your own ideas and
creativity to see what works best at your university. We appreciate different
activities will work better at different institutions, but we’d encourage you to
always think about how any activity is promoting the BPS and the work we do with
students and supporting career development. It’s also important to remember that
if your university has had Student Ambassadors previously, they may have started
some of this work, however if you’re the first Ambassador you may have to start
with small steps and develop a presence at your university. Please bear in mind to
balance your studies with your duties and only do as much as you can.

IDE A S WITHIN YOUR ROL E!

The duties below are things which you can consider doing at your institution in
person or online. The BPS does not expect you to do them all, but hopefully to use
them as inspiration to think about what might work at your university:

• Reach out to other Student Ambassadors at your university (where applicable).

• Link up with your university psychology staff to discuss university led
initiatives where student ambassadors can get involved, and to update the
staff on your activity.
• Introduce yourself to the careers team at your university and discuss any
initiatives where you can get involved as a Student Ambassador.
• Set up a notice board in your department or an electronic poster distributed to
your fellow students to promote the BPS membership and student relevant events.
• Introduce yourself and link in with your university Psychology Society, if there
is one. If there is no Psychology Society at your university consider creating
one through your Student’s Union.
• Speak to your course team about opportunities to arrange lecture shout outs where
you present who the BPS are and what we do, to first year psychology students.
• Attend and volunteer at various BPS led and engaged events – where the Careers
Team are running these we will reach out to you to see if you can support this.
• Organise to have a stand or a virtual space (if held online) at your university
Fresher’s Fair/Welcome Week/Re-Fresher’s to highlight the benefits of BPS
Membership.
• Arrange drop-ins in high footfall areas of your department, you may want to
organise a coffee morning or some sweets to entice fellow students along,
where you talk about BPS membership and who we are.
• Work with your university/course and BPS comms teams to create social media
content which engages fellow students with the BPS and the work which we do.
• You will be supported by a Lead Student Ambassador throughout your role.

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K NOW L EDGE, SK IL L S A ND BEH AV IOURS
Volunteers expressing an interest in this role will benefit from having a number of
the following characteristics:
• Excellent communication and listening skills.
• A willingness to develop a raised profile within your institution and various partners.
• Knowledge and understanding of the BPS and avenues into careers within psychology.
• An awareness of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, how to promote this within
your university.
• Leading by example and dependability.
• Team working skills.
• Meeting skills, being able to organise and conduct meetings.
• Negotiation and critical thinking.
• Utilise own initiative and be proactive.
• Being resilient, and have an awareness on how to manage setbacks.

IMP OR TA NT T O NO T E
This role is created to help engage your fellow psychology students with the support they can
receive from the British Psychological Society as members. Any matters related to students’
individual curriculum or course must be directed to your university and not the branches
within the BPS. Additionally, any formal feedback regarding student course(s) must be directed
through your university’s internal regulatory framework for them to escalate, and again, is not
suitable for your associated branches. Any personal issues that a student may have should be
directed to the university student support service.

The BPS has created a training package especially for you in this role. The training will provide
you with a knowledge and overview of the BPS. It will be vital for you to complete the training
before you start in your role - this training is all online. You will also be given access to specific
training and development throughout your time as a Volunteer Student Ambassador, as our way
of saying thank you for your support.

Any expenses will be pre-agreed internally through the BPS via an activity form submitted to the
careers team.

SUBMISSION DE ADLINE: 16 JUNE 2023

Send to: studentambassadors@bps.org.uk

WWW.BPS.ORG.UK /STUDENT-AMBASSADORS