I am really grateful that I have been given the opportunity to be part of the committee. Previously, I was just another sporadic member of COSDU; I just come as and when most convenient for me. I was not as dedicated as today. I really enjoy the friendship, fun and laughter that COSDU has brought to my life. It has been a wonderful experience to be part of a close community.
Being a secretary requires you to be a leader as well. You are supporting the whole committee and you are also someone whom other committee turn to when they have questions. It is like you are a walking encyclopaedia, who has the answer to everything. You are also the one person who will drag the whole committee back to reality, you are like this ringing bell who will constantly remind everyone of things that are left undone.
There are so many things that you will learn by being a secretary;
1. Organisational skills
I guess this is the most important skill that will make a secretary, a successful and efficient secretary. You don’t have to be an organised person by nature; this is something that can be learned. Good time management is a bonus too.
2. Communication skills
As a student, I have never really liked English or other humanities subjects. I am more of a Maths person. However, being a secretary requires me to liaise with UMSU, MUOSS, St Mary’s and other various parties. Letters and invitations have to be written. You learn how to please the various bodies and accept rejections too. It can get difficult sometimes as not all correspondence is nice.
3. People & Social skills
Managing an organisation is not an easy task, but it is a very rewarding experience. You learn how to compromise and take initiative. People can be difficult sometimes, not everyone is in the same frequency as you. You cannot expect everyone to understand your rationale. It can be frustrating but you have to realise that conflicts are good too. I guess the most important lesson I have learnt is that no matter how much you’ve planned, some things are just beyond your control. You just have to trust your team and let them do their work with liberty.
4. Problem Solving skills
Problems will arise; you cannot run away from it. In fact, ignoring it and hoping that it will be forgotten is a bad idea. Always try to solve whatever problems or issues that come up. Creativity is a plus point as you need to be a quick thinker. The goal: trying to make most people happy. You cannot please everyone but it is still possible to make everyone satisfied and happy.
5. Basic Legal knowledge
This is where the ‘paper work’ term comes in. UMSU requires us to fill in a lot of forms. I guess it is a form of formality. I never knew that there are so many indemnity forms to be filled in. There are rules to everything. Revising the constitution and reporting it to UMSU is also part of the job. You need to be well-updated and in touch with the current issues.
I believe all of these skills will be useful to everyone of any profession. I certainly appreciate all the skills that I have learned. They will come in handy as I progress into working life as these are skills that cannot be learned by studying. They are just part of the survival skills that are essential to survive in today’s society.
Honestly, I have grown as an individual. I am not sure about others but I feel that I have matured. I have grown wiser. I am now more willing and not afraid to take initiative; and open to criticisms too. I have learned to compromise and I amazed myself by being able to juggle study, work and serving COSDU all at once.
My advice to those who are still procrastinating, whether to run for office position (not only for secretary post); is to listen and follow your heart. Never ever force yourself to take up an office position just because your friends elected you. You have to be passionate of what you do. You need to reassure and convince yourself that you are capable of great things; you are committed and willing to make sacrifices and be part of the committee. Like it or not, sacrifices have to be made. My opinion, a good office bearer is someone who understands the meaning of commitment, sacrifice, responsibility and initiative.
I hope this reflection has not discouraged anyone from taking up the secretarial post. Thank you for the experience and lessons that I have learned.
Love
Amanda
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