“Overall, being a student ambassador for Kortext has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Not only have I gained valuable skills and knowledge, but I have also had the opportunity to make a positive impact on the academic journeys of others. I feel like I have grown both personally and professionally, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this program. “ Dihini – University of Wolverhampton
Background
The Kortext student ambassador programme was introduced in 2021 as a pilot study in collaboration with the University of Birmingham library team. By the academic year 2022/2023, the programme expanded its reach to 10 universities across the UK.
The primary objective of the programme is to enhance student onboarding and engagement on the Kortext platform, while fostering a collaborative relationship with the library to provide support to students.
On average, we have successfully enlisted 5 ambassadors per university, offering these students valuable opportunities such as marketing experience, mentoring sessions, networking prospects, and more.
The programme
Kortext provides ambassadors flexible part-time work that can be managed alongside their academic schedules. Students engage in virtual tasks and on-campus activities.
Before commencing their roles, ambassadors undergo comprehensive training on the Kortext platform and receive an induction session to ensure they are well-prepared for their responsibilities.
Throughout the academic year, students undertake a diverse range of tasks, including blog writing, organising and facilitating focus groups, developing presentations, participating in usability tests, contributing to library pop-up stands on campus, creating content for social media platforms, and much more.
“Kortext has taught me many new things and helped me to realise my infinite potential. I came out of my comfort zone and write blogs, articles and make presentations which I have not done before.” Ayush – University of Birmingham
“The best part of the experience was speaking to students and letting them know all of the amazing things that the university has to offer. It helped develop a range of skills by undertaking a wide variety of tasks that were new to me and trying to present them in creative and interactive ways.” Rauteeba – University of Westminster
In addition, students play a crucial role by offering valuable feedback to our product development team. This feedback enables us to continually enhance our platform, ensuring that it effectively addresses the needs and desires of students.
Outcomes
The programme aims to foster student employability and enhance their soft skills. Based on feedback from students reflecting on their participation in the programme, they have reported significant development in key skills including time management, communication, public speaking, leadership, and teamwork.
Moreover, students have experienced a notable boost in their confidence throughout their ambassadorial roles. As ambassadors, they were consistently challenged to nurture their creativity, as well as enhance their marketing and promotion skills.
“The chance to improve my interpersonal and communication skills has also been a rewarding aspect of the job. I have had to communicate well with various individuals in my role as an ambassador, including students, academics, and even potential customers. I have learnt how to modify my communication style to meet the demands of various audiences and how to communicate complicated material effectively” Natalie – Middlesex University
“The role has also enhanced my CV. For example, as I’ve been applying to grad schemes, employers have had questions related to my part time work at Kortext. They are also impressed when I give more detail about this! “ Maheen – Aston University
“I would highly recommend this role to anyone at university as it opens up a new door for networking with different people, working with your university library as well as take you out of your comfort zone (also a great source of income for those, like myself, living out!)” Prina – Aston University
If you would like to obtain further information about the programme and discover its potential benefits for your library, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at ambassadors@kortext.com
