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UCD Advantage Award

Interested in applying for the Advantage Award?

(opens in a new window)UCD Advantage Award Inductions are open for the 2024/2025 Academic Year!
(opens in a new window)Register for an Induction here!

What is the UCD Advantage Award?

The UCD Advantage Award is your chance to get recognition from UCD for skills, knowledge and experience that you have gained through participation in co-curricular activities. Whether you are a part of a (opens in a new window)UCD Societysports team, volunteer your time with a charity or have done a Summer internship UCD wants to acknowledge your contribution and development.

  • UCD Advantage will help you stand out from the crowd and is a great addition to your CV
  • The award will be added to your UCD Diploma Supplement 
  • Completing the award helps you to articulate all the amazing transferable skills you have developed
  • Employers are looking for well-rounded students

  • You must engage in a minimum of 2 co-curricular activities, of which only one can be external to UCD. Your activities can range from clubs, societies, volunteering, internships, part-time work and hundreds more. 
  • You must demonstrate engagement with all 4 the award themes
  • Everything you need to know will be explained in your induction. Book your induction on MyCareer.

Elisa Pandolfi

Bsc Psychology Graduate 2022

I decided to partake in the UCD Advantage Award as it is a great opportunity for anyone who doesn’t have a change to get involved in societies but still get recognition for taking their time at university to grow professionally and personally. As a commuter, I never had a chance to be involved with sports or societies but I still had a busy life outside the classroom! 

The activities I got involved with for the award were my part-time job, the Peer Mentoring program and the SDG Challenge. These activities were flexible around my time and still allowed me to learn so much. They allowed me to develop in terms of leadership, creativity and digital skills as well as steering me towards my chosen career path, so it is safe to say I wouldn’t have known what to do now that college is over without this award! 

I recommend everyone to get involved with the Advantage Award as it is both rewarding and a great addition to your CV to show employees your commitment, time management and development. The Advantage Award is also a representation of transferable skills and adaptability which are qualities that employees love to see but are also fundamental to anyone who is entering the ever-growing career market! 

 

SÍofra Handibode 

Bsc Geography and Geology 

I was attracted to the UCD Advantage Award because it shows potential employers that, by achieving the award itself, you are willing to be involved and participate in activities both on and off campus in your own time and not for academic credit.

Giving back to UCD and lending a hand in your local community in a variety of ways is recognised with the award.Through the application process, I became more aware of the positive impact that I can have on society as an individual and as part of a group. Volunteering as a peer mentor and as an assistant dance teacher in my area, as well as joining the Geography Society committee, all assisted me in achieving the award. 

The UCD Advantage award is a great opportunity for all students, I cannot recommend it enough. Having completed the award, I felt proud of what I had accomplished, but the most invaluable takeaway from the experience was how it taught me to present my experiences more confidently in future interviews.

Tori Boccarossa

BA International Italian and Art History 

Why did I apply?:I came across UCD Advantage by chance flicking through my emails one afternoon. I decided to have a look at the Careers network website, and found that the award was something I could already achieve with the activities I had been participating in throughout my time during my undergraduate degree.

I wanted to have something that I could put on a CV that would make me stand out and prove that I had more to me than just academics. UCD Advantage is great for starting conversation about your university experience beyond exams and essays, and shows your participation and commitment in various activities that may seem small or not necessarily important outside of the UCD bubble. The award allowed me to show off my extra and co-curricular interests in a way I couldn’t have imagined before. With a testimony from such a well-known body as UCD, I could really demonstrate my abilities to employers and peers. 

Activities:My activities varied quite significantly. I joined the Arts Soc committee when applying for UCD Advantage and found myself as Events Manager, which was huge for me and something I never imagined myself doing until then! I was also able to include activities that were already familiar to me, this included my voluntary work in a local youth club which I had been doing for years, and also my role as a UCD peer mentor and class representative. The award allowed me to showcase these activities that I wasn’t necessarily known as doing before. Through taking responsibilities within these activities I was also able to gain experience that I could apply following my university experience.

Highlights:As I have mentioned, I found that this award allowed me to stand out and display other parts of me that I hadn’t shown off previously. While learning new and transferrable skills through taking on roles and activities, I could now also prove my abilities surrounding them and show that I had applied these skills in real life. One other aspect that I didn’t expect from the award was meeting new people and friends by committing to new groups. I am very grateful that I got to work with so many other students as well as staff by taking up new activities. 

Advice for students:I’d advise any students who take part in university life outside of the classroom to apply! This award will help you show your dedication to sports, clubs, societies, and more! What you’re doing may not seem important to you however employers want to see you for who you really are, so show them! 

Find out how you can sign up for UCD Advantage here!

UCD Careers Network

Library Building, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 7574 | E: careers@ucd.ie