On Your Side
A new way students are building their resumes, and how businesses are benefiting
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Video by tmj4.com
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It may look like she's just passing out flyers, but college sophomore Christi Williams believes she's building her future in the fashion industry. Christi works as a student ambassador for the start-up fashion site, 'Stylitics'. She doesn't get a salary, or college credit, but she says that's ok. "I'm learning a ton. And I'm definitely gaining a lot of leadership experience, and I'm gaining lots of stuff to put on my resume." Experts say tech companies are flocking to college campuses, recruiting students to help them spread the word--In exchange for gift cards and t-shirts,and that all important resume building. Eric Stoller is a higher education consultant. He explains, "Students have access to places that companies and marketing and marketers don't have access to. For example, in a residence hall, students can promote things to one another in ways that companies could never do." Companies ranging from Nascar to Microsoft to Barnes and Noble are also in on the action. The majority of students are not part of the company payroll, but… Zach Davis is co-founder of Stylitics. He says it's a great experience for students. "We really focus on giving them a lot of perks, a lot of rich experience, strong networking," he says. Student ambassadors do everything from handing out flyers to creating Facebook pages. Some companies are expanding to include high school students as well, something that concerns Stoller. "I think that's pretty tricky. I think when you're dealing with minors I think that changes the landscape immensely. There's maturity issues involved. There's access, privacy," Stoller warns. Another concern? Ensuring enthusiastic ambassadors don't end up skirting college policies about marketing on campus. "The companies would say, well it's an unpaid ambassador program. If the student gets in trouble, the onus is more on the student, which is unfortunate," Stoller says. Christi says balancing school and an ambassadorship can be tough at times, but believes it's well worth the effort. "I'm growing a lot. I'm gaining a lot of leadership experience," she beams. These student ambassadorships aren't necessarily meant to replace traditional internships. Many students take on both for maximum resume potential.
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