I love students’ unions / student associations, I love working for them and I love what the stand for. I’ve spent most of my career working in them and I’d like to think that this is something which will continue for a long time.

My first experience of a students’ union / student associations was when I was at university and I became a Course Rep and later a Faculty Rep with a seat on Student Council. I gained a lot of confidence through doing those roles as a student; the training and support offered by my students’ union / student associations made me feel very welcome and valued. The following year I ran for a position as a sabbatical officer and became Education Officer (vice-president) for the 2008/09 academic year. The skills and experience I gained from being a sabbatical officer definitely set me up for heading in the right direction with my career.

Since 2008 I’ve worked in students’ unions / student associations except for 18 months somewhere in the middle. I fancied a change and wanted to see what else was out there. Suffice to say I headed back as soon as I could.

When I came back to the movement in 2015, it was to Wrexham Glyndwr which is where I am now and I honestly couldn’t ask for a better job and a better team of people to work with. There’s something special about students’ unions / student associations that is rather difficult to articulate, but the culture, behaviours and support are the best I have ever come across. In my team at Glyndwr, whilst I might be the ‘CEO’, there aren’t the behaviours you’d expect from the usual hierarchical structure; I like to think that I guide, support and nurture my staff rather than instruct them on how things must be done. I regularly ask my team for help too, I sometimes make mistakes, and that’s ok because who doesn’t?!

Working in students’ unions / student associations has allowed me to grow and develop in a way which I never thought I could…I was the first in my family to go to University and never dreamed of becoming a CEO with an MBA by the age of 33, but thanks to students’ unions / student associations, looks like I am!

So what I’m saying is simply, don’t write students’ unions / student associations off as a quick stop gap for employment whilst you look for a ‘real job’, these are real jobs, they’re careers with fulfilment, development and with some of the most amazing, diverse people you could wish to meet.

– Sarah Ellis – Chief Executive, Wrexham Glyndwr Students’ Union / Student Associations

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Dwi’n caru undebau myfyrwyr, dwi’n caru gweithio iddyn nhw a dwi’n caru eu pwrpas. Dwi wedi treulio mwyafrif fy ngyrfa’n gweithio ynddynt a hoffwn i barhau i wneud hynny am amser hir.

Fy mhrofiad cyntaf o undeb myfyrwyr oedd pan oeddwn i yn y brifysgol a des i’n gynrychiolydd cwrs ac yn ddiweddarach yn gynrychiolydd cyfadran gyda sedd ar Gyngor y Myfyrwyr. Fe wnes i fagu llawer o hyder yn y rolau hynny fel myfyriwr; roedd yr hyfforddiant a’r gefnogaeth gan fy undeb myfyrwyr yn gwneud i mi deimlo fy mod i’n cael fy nghroesawu a fy ngwerthfawrogi’n fawr. Y flwyddyn ganlynol, sefais i yn etholiadau’r swyddogion sabothol a ches i fy ethol yn Swyddog Addysg (Is-lywydd) ar gyfer y flwyddyn academaidd 2008/09. Mae’r sgiliau a’r profiad ces i yn swyddog sabothol yn bendant wedi fy arwain i’r cyfeiriad cywir yn fy ngyrfa.

Ers 2008, dwi wedi gweithio mewn undebau myfyrwyr ac eithrio 18 mis rhywbryd yn y canol. Roeddwn i am gael newid ac roeddwn i am weld beth arall oedd ar gael. Ond es i yn ôl cyn gynted â phosib.

Pan ddes i yn ôl i’r mudiad yn 2015, es i Glyndŵr Wrecsam a dwi’n dal i fod yno heddiw. Allwn i ddim gofyn am swydd well a thîm gwell o bobl i weithio gyda nhw. Mae’n anodd mynegi pa mor arbennig yw undebau myfyrwyr, ond y diwylliant, yr ymddygiad a’r cymorth yw’r gorau dwi erioed wedi dod ar eu traws. Yn fy nhîm yn Glyndŵr, er fy mod i’n Brif Weithredwr, dydy’r ymddygiad byddech chi’n ei ddisgwyl gan y strwythur hierarchaidd arferol ddim yn bodoli; hoffwn i feddwl fy mod i’n arwain, yn cefnogi ac yn meithrin fy staff yn hytrach na rhoi cyfarwyddiadau iddyn nhw ar sut mae rhaid gwneud pethau. Hefyd, dwi’n gofyn yn aml i fy nhîm am help, dwi weithiau’n gwneud camgymeriadau, ac mae hynny’n iawn oherwydd does neb yn berffaith!

Mae gweithio mewn undebau myfyrwyr wedi fy ngalluogi i dyfu a datblygu mewn ffordd doeddwn i ddim erioed wedi meddwl y gallwn i…fi oedd y cyntaf yn fy nheulu i fynd i’r brifysgol ac fe wnes i ddim erioed dychmygu fy hun yn Brif Weithredwr gyda MBA erbyn 33 oed, ond diolch i undebau myfyrwyr, dwi wedi cyflawni’r holl bethau hynny!

Felly yn syml, peidiwch ag ystyried undebau myfyrwyr yn swydd dros dro tra byddwch chi’n chwilio am ‘waith go iawn’. Mae’r rhain yn swyddi go iawn, maen nhw’n yrfaoedd o gyflawni a datblygu, sy’n cynnwys rhai o’r bobl fwyaf anhygoel, amrywiol gallech gael y fraint o gwrdd â nhw.