‘A self-launch to work…’: Exploring students’ use of university clubs in competitive labour markets

Several studies have explored how students are using extracurricular activities to stand out in increasingly competitive labour markets. Focusing on one extracurricular activity, that is, university clubs, this paper uses positional conflict theory to explore why Australian university students seek club leadership roles and how they view their roles in relation to the labour market. The paper is based on eight in-depth interviews with Australian university students with club leadership experience. We identify three main drivers for seeking such leadership positions: acquiring skills and work experience, building networks, and gaining a feeling of giving back to one's community. The paper suggests that university clubs may help students distinguish themselves in competitive labour markets in ways that both parallel and differ from internships. In particular, we propose a distinction between vertical and horizontal networks as key to conceptualising the particularities of university clubs.