Information for students

This page is designed for current students at the University of Exeter who are interested in finding out about the Exeter Student Ambassador Scheme.

Please note that we have a separate page for all current students who are only interested in working at the undergraduate university open days (rather than the full typical student ambassador work portfolio outlined below). For Penryn-based students, this can be found here, and for Exeter-based students here.

We also have another page here for postgraduate students only who are interested in supporting postgraduate-specific open days and recruitment activity (rather than the full typical student ambassador work portfolio outlined below).

Overview of the scheme

The Exeter Student Ambassador Scheme (ESAS) is managed by the Student Recruitment and Operations Team (SROps). Student ambassadors are booked by SROps and other university departments to work on a wide range of events and activities throughout the year. They share their first-hand experiences of life as a University of Exeter student to a variety of different audiences, providing a positive, authentic and unscripted insight into the world of higher education. The work student ambassadors undertake involves both promoting the University of Exeter as an institution to prospective students and visitors via recruitment activities; and helping to widen participation in higher education more generally by providing information, advice and guidance to young people from a diverse range of backgrounds who are under-represented via outreach activities.

Why get involved?

This is a great scheme to join if you:

feel positive about higher education and the University of Exeter and want to share your experiences with others
like to work with young people and recognise that they may need help in making important decisions regarding higher education
are interested in working on the wide range of different events and activities outlined below (if you are only interested in being considered for work on University open days, please put your name on the applicable Open Day marshals list instead – see links above)
want flexible work that fits well around your study commitments
want work that will enhance your existing skillset and increase your employability (student ambassadors will have their work with ESAS listed on their Higher Education Achievement Report and may use their work on the scheme to gain the Exeter Award)

Who we are looking for

We recruit student ambassadors from all undergraduate courses and year groups, plus a range of postgraduate courses. Student ambassadors should:

be enthusiastic
have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people from different backgrounds
be brilliant team workers
be professional, well organised and reliable
be pro-active and able to use their own initiative to respond to different situations appropriately

Pay

The current student ambassador pay rate is £14.12 (£12.60 basic pay + £1.52 holiday pay) per hour.

Work hours

Work is available for student ambassadors throughout the year. We encourage student ambassadors to apply for regular work on the scheme. The work hours are flexible and it should be possible for student ambassadors to choose shifts that fit comfortably around their study commitments, as well as link with the areas of work that they are most interested in.

Please note that student ambassador work is casual work. Further information for casual workers engaged by the University plus the terms and conditions for casual workers click here.

More information

Examples of typical work

Student ambassadors are given the opportunity to apply to work on an exciting variety of outreach and recruitment events and activities including:

Manning a stand at Higher Education or Careers/Information Fairs: providing informative answers to queries from visitors, promoting the university or higher education more generally, and sharing first-hand experiences of life as a university student.
Working on summer or Easter residentials or summer schools: Student ambassadors have the chance to work on campus-based residentials, which aim to provide participants with an insight into University life. There is also an opportunity to work on the International Summer School, which may include trips to London, Bath, and Dorset
Contributing to the Exeter Scholars Programme: Exeter Scholars gives participants the opportunity to find out more about university develop a passion for a chosen subject and gain first-hand experience of student life at the University of Exeter. Student ambassadors have the chance to work with Scholars at various events (both on and off campus) and provide key information, advice and guidance about Higher Education (HE) so that participants are able to make informed decisions about HE and their future. Events include: an in-school tutoring programme, various launch and celebration events, subject workshops and events, conferences, and residentials (some of which have a specific subject focus).
Planning and delivering Subject Mentoring to small groups of young people in schools and colleges across the south west, and helping them to achieve their academic potential.
Leading campus tours for prospective students, university alumni, and other visitors. This is a chance for ESAs to share their enthusiasm, stories and personal experiences about the campus, as well as deliver some key information about the facilities and services the university has to offer.
Supporting campus visits from schools and colleges by assisting with the programme of activities. This may range from running a campus tour to delivering presentations on student life, choosing a course, or managing finances. Many visits have a particular subject focus, so ESAs will also have the opportunity to share their enthusiasm, experiences and information about the course they are studying.
Delivering workshops/presentations in schools by assisting with the programme of activities. This may cover topics such as student life, student finance, choosing a course, or the EPQ qualification. Many visits have a particular subject focus, so ESAs will also have the opportunity to share their enthusiasm, experiences and information about the course they are studying. Some visits will be led by Next Steps South West (NSSW).
Helping to run the Open Days and Offer-Holder Visit Days by working in one of a variety of roles including campus tour leader, transport marshal, accommodation tour leader, student life presenter, information/academic fair marshal, signposting, or subject marshal for their college of study. These big events are a great opportunity for the student ambassador team to come together and deliver a fantastic day on campus for prospective students.
Supporting the UCAS Higher Education Exhibitions in Exeter or Penryn by working alongside staff from UCAS as part of a team of marshals during the event, supporting exhibitors and visitors and facilitating the seminar programme.
Leading Subject Department Tours for prospective students and visitors. This is a chance for ESAs to share their enthusiasm, stories and personal experiences about their subject, as well as deliver some key information about the courses and department facilities.
Participating in various Photoshoots, Films and Focus Groups for the University of Exeter or partner organisations. This might involve the exciting opportunity to star in a social media campaign, be featured in the university prospectus, or provide informative feedback.
Working with the Admissions team to answer calls on the Confirmation and Clearing Helpline in August
Supporting the office with some ad hoc administrative work before and after events
Helping with various promotions for the student ambassador scheme, on-campus facilities, and student surveys
Working with the Transition and Integration Team to welcome and support international students and helping out at various events organised by the team including Intercultural Cafés, on-campus Cultural events e.g. Diwali celebrations.
Unibuddy and E-Mentoring: There are various e-mentoring opportunities available for student ambassadors to apply to the national Realising Opportunities programme, and the Unibuddy programme. All the programmes support prospective students with the higher education/University of Exeter decision making process

How to Apply

We are now open for applications for the 2024/25 intake of student ambassadors.

Who Can Apply?

We welcome applications from all current students across the University of Exeter. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented on the scheme, including international students; Black, Asian and minority ethnic students; male students; care-leavers, and mature students.

The student ambassador scheme recruits students at all levels of study (i.e. undergraduate, postgraduate taught (PGT) and postgraduate research (PGR) students). Please note that unfortunately we are unable to accept applications from students who are currently studying at INTO, or students who are on degree apprenticeships or online courses.

The Recruitment Process:

Step 1 - Apply:

Students who are interested in becoming a student ambassador should complete the application form via the link below. The deadline for applications is Monday 7 October 2024 at 9am, however, we may close earlier if we reach the threshold of numbers that we can facilitate at interview before the deadline.

Step 2 - Interview:

After the deadline for applications has passed, all applicants will be sent an email inviting them to a group interview, which will take place in person on one of the following dates:

Wednesday 6 November 2024 for students with courses based on the Penryn campus. Interviews are expected to run sometime between 11:00 – 15:30.
Saturday 9 November 2024 for students with courses based on the Streatham and St Luke’s campuses. Interviews are expected to run sometime between 09:00 – 16:30.

Candidates that attend an interview will be notified of the outcome via email by no later than Friday 15 November 2024.

Step 3 - Paperwork and Training:

Successful candidates at interview will be invited to attend an all-day mandatory training session on Saturday 30 November 2024 on the Streatham Campus (transport will be provided for Penryn-based students). There will also be further campus tour training on Sunday 1 December 2024 between 11:00 – 12:00 for Penryn-based students only. Both training sessions will take place in person.

Prior to the training sessions, successful applicants will be required to complete:

A criminal records check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) plus an overseas criminal records (OCR) check if needed (for any candidates who have lived overseas for a period of 6 months or more in the last five years). Details about the documentation required for a DBS check can be found here; note that the documents will need to be originals and online print-outs (e.g. from an online bank account) or photocopies will not be accepted. The documentation required for overseas criminal record checks is different for each country; further details can be found in the DBS’s A-Z guides here. Successful candidates will need to submit the application/ID check for these in person on Thursday 21 November.
A right to work check. A right to work check involves supplying evidence of your right to work in the UK. Full details about the documentation needed for the check can be found here. Successful candidates will need to complete this check on either Wednesday 20 November (online for Penryn-based students) or Thursday 21 November (in person for Exeter-based students).

It will not be possible to extend the deadlines if these checks are not completed on time, so we strongly recommend that you gather together the correct paperwork required for both the Right to Work and DBS/OCR check now so that you have them at the ready if you are successful at interview.

Please note that candidates who perform well at interview but don’t quite score highly enough to secure a position as a student ambassador may be offered a place in our Subject Representatives (SReps) pool instead. SReps are primarily offered the opportunity to work alongside student ambassadors at largescale recruitment events such as open days and offer-holder visit days (usually representing their course, but occasionally in a more general role).

The Application Form:

Before you fill in the application form please ensure that:

You have read through the overview of the scheme and the examples of typical work on the tabs above to ensure that you fully understand what the Student Ambassador role typically involves.
You have checked that you are available for both the applicable interview date and, if successful at interview, the DBS/RTW drop-in session and training dates. Please note that we are not able to offer alternative dates for the interview or the training days.
You have read through the information above about the right to work check process and the criminal records check processes and have checked that you will be able to gather the correct documentation to carry out these checks within the required timescales if you are successful at interview.

If you would like to apply to become a student ambassador please complete the appropriate application form below:

Exeter-based students (i.e. those studying on the Streatham or St Luke’s Campus) should complete this application form.
Cornwall-based students (i.e. those studying on the Penryn Campus or at the Knowledge Spa in Truro) should complete this application form.

The deadline for applications is Monday 7 October 2024 at 9am, however, we may close earlier if we reach the threshold of numbers that we can facilitate at interview before the deadline.

Any Questions?

If you would like to ask to ask any questions about the ESAS recruitment process, please feel free to contact esas@exeter.ac.uk and one of our team will be happy to help.