Leadership Positions in High School: 3 Steps to Becoming an Officer of your Club
Written by Krithika Singh
Gaining a leadership position in high school is not easy. It requires hours of commitment, hard work, and dedication. Read on to learn about a few ways to increase your chances of gaining leadership in a high school club, specifically in a club related to artificial intelligence.
Everyone wants to gain a leadership position in a club and become an officer, but not many know how to effectively do this. Although it may sound easy, becoming an officer for a club and gaining leadership is not an easy task. It requires hours of commitment, hard work, and dedication. However, there are a few ways to increase your chances of gaining leadership in a club, specifically in a club related to artificial intelligence.
What is AI?
AI has been a hot topic for many years now, but what exactly is it? AI stands for artificial intelligence, and it essentially allows machines to think and behave like humans. Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing industries all around the world, and will soon become a part of every day life. This is why it is crucial to learn about AI and understand it.
Many schools already have AI clubs.
If you are planning on majoring in AI, or in a field similar to artificial intelligence, it would be a good idea to join your school’s artificial intelligence club. However, taking this a step further and becoming an officer in the club will make you stand out amongst the thousands of other students. The goal of this blog is to help you do just that!
How to gain a leadership position in a club
COMMITMENT
The first step to gaining a leadership position in high school is commitment. Becoming a club officer takes a significant amount of hard work and determination, and clubs want to know that you are dedicated. This means not only showing up to meetings, but also participating, engaging, asking questions, and adding to the quality of the club. This will let the current club officers know that you are truly interested in this club and are willing to put in the work. It will make them remember you and could be an advantage when it is time for officer applications.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
The next step is to start doing research outside of the club and delve deeper into what is being taught. For example, in the AI club, do further research beyond what is taught in the actual club itself. Read articles, watch videos, ask others, etc. This will allow you to gain a strong understanding of AI and will set you up for success later in the year.
SUGGEST IMPROVEMENTS
Additionally, you want to understand how the club works, notice areas that could use improvement (such as communication, organization, outreach, curriculum, etc.), and think of things you can add to the club. Club officers want people who will benefit the club and improve it.
SELF-REFLECTION
The last step is to spend a good amount of time assessing your weaknesses and strengths. This will help you when filling out officer applications and choosing a position to apply for. Most clubs will ask you which position you would like. This part is key to your application because if you choose correctly and pick a role that emphasizes your strengths, it will greatly improve your chances of getting accepted.
As an example, let’s say a student is very organized, has excellent time management skills, and is an effective communicator. The best position for them would be something along the lines of logistics director or communications coordinator On the other hand, if another student is very outgoing and knows how to gain attention on social media, a position regarding outreach might be the best for them. Either way, you want to pick a position that plays into your strengths.
How I Became VP of my High School’s AI Club
As a current sophomore, I was able to become the Vice President of my school’s AI Club following these three steps. I began by attending every meeting and really trying to understand everything. Additionally, over the summer, I completed numerous programs, including Inspirit AI, that allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of AI. Along the way, I also made note of what could be improved in the club. I noticed that the club did not have many participants and that there weren’t many interactive activities, so I made sure to mention that in the application. I also knew that I had strong time management and organization skills, and I knew that as Vice President, both of those qualities would be highly desired.
I hope that this information was useful in some way, and hopefully, helps in gaining a leadership position in high school!
