Lead LUU

How Running In LeadLUU Can Shape Your Career: Fabiha Chowdhury

February 9, 2026
5 Mins Read

LeadLUU is our annual student leadership race, where University of Leeds students can run to become a Student Officer and lead the Union for a year.

LeadLUU is one of the biggest student elections in the country, and a highlight of campus life.

This is not just a regular student election…

It could change your life.

We spoke to Fabiha Chowdhury, the Policy and Campaigns Coordinator at LUU and a previous runner in the LeadLUU elections to find out exactly how LeadLUU can influence your future career.

Why did you decide to run in a student election?

I decided to run in the LeadLUU elections because I was deeply passionate about improving student housing.
 
During my studies, I was estranged from my family, which meant I received no financial support and outside of term time had no home to go back to. Student housing wasn’t just accommodation for me, it was my home all year round. If the house was cold or damp, I had nowhere warm, dry or safe to go instead.
 
I also experienced first-hand how landlord attitudes and practices could disproportionately impact students in vulnerable financial positions. I struggled to find a guarantor, and I couldn’t afford to pay a year’s rent upfront. Leaving a tenancy wasn’t a realistic option for me, and so I felt completely backed into a corner.
 
By the time I reached my final year, I wanted to take action. Student housing has been a long-standing issue for student campaigners, and I knew the student union was already in key decision-making spaces, such as Unipol’s Board, and had strong relationships with political leaders, such as Leeds City Council, local councilors and MP Alex Sobel.
 
Becoming a Student Exec Officer felt like the most effective way for me to influence change.

How did campaigning to become a Student Leader shape your future career?

Campaigning shaped my work ethic, my confidence in presenting myself, and my ability to collaborate with others. Coming from a STEM background, I had strong technical skills like coding, data analysis and problem solving  and a creative curiosity about how to approach challenges.
 
What my STEM degree didn’t teach me was how to persuade people, articulate my ideas publicly or work effectively in large groups. Writing my manifesto pushed me to craft detailed, persuasive and accessible statements. I taught myself new digital skills, such as designing screen‑reader‑friendly posters, and I gained confidence through a live radio interview, which was invaluable experience in public speaking and debate.
 
Running a month‑long campaign was also a real test of project management. I had to balance campaign events with my dissertation deadline, manage my time effectively, and quickly adapt strategies when something wasn’t working. On the ground, canvassing taught me how to deliver a 30‑second pitch to strangers and respond calmly to challenging questions. These are all skills that translated directly into job interviews.
 
Overall, campaigning made me a more rounded leader and prepared me for careers where collaboration and communication are essential.
In my third year, I only considered technical roles such as data analysis, research or lab work, and I also briefly explored teaching. I was stuck in the mindset that my career had to directly connect to my degree in Physics with Astrophysics.
 
Running in LeadLUU made me consider jobs in other sectors. I discovered how much I enjoyed engaging with politics and community issues, and I met students from a huge range of courses who talked about their own career plans. It opened my eyes to opportunities in sectors I had never considered before.

What did the process teach you about confidence, leadership, and handling challenges?

Campaigning taught me that while I excel at technical tasks, I truly thrive when working with people. It boosted my confidence in how I present myself and helped me become more comfortable responding to difficult questions in real time. I had to understand my strengths and communicate them effectively to convince voters I could be a strong leader. 
 
It was also an opportunity to further develop my leadership skills beyond my experience as a society president. In my society, committee members were passionate about the group and took on responsibilities naturally. In my campaign team, people had far less time and were supporting me simply because they believed in what I stood for.
 
I had to learn how to recognize their individual strengths, understand their availability and resources, and make the most of what each person could offer.

How has running in the elections strengthened your CV or helped you stand out professionally?

Running in an election always stands out on a CV. Interviewers are often curious about the experience and the result and even if you don’t win, there are countless ways to frame it positively.

Many job applications ask for examples of public speaking, teamwork or marketing a product. I was able to draw on my campaign experience for all of these and more. It allowed me to showcase skills that aren’t always asked for explicitly, such as creating digital assets, designing printed materials like T‑shirts, and learning new software quickly.

Campaigning also demonstrated resilience. Speaking to hundreds of people and handling mixed reactions helped me show emotional maturity and determination.

I don’t think I would have considered a career in politics or in a Students’ Union. Running in LeadLUU made me consider paths beyond the traditional routes associated with my degree.
 
It also gave me the confidence to apply for roles even when I wasn’t sure I’d get them. I had already taken a risk by running in an election where the odds weren’t in my favour and losing showed me that setbacks aren’t the end of the world.

What would you say to students who don’t feel confident about running, but want to run?

Do it anyway.
 
Running in an election isn’t about winning as 99% of people who run won’t win. What matters is what you gain from putting yourself forward. The experience builds creativity, communication, writing skills, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence and resilience. You learn what you’re proud of and what you want to improve. You learn that it’s okay to put yourself out there and aim for something that feels out of reach.
 
It’s a lesson in perseverance, confidence, project management and self‑belief. Even if you don’t win, you will walk away stronger, more skilled and more self‑aware than when you started.

LeadLUU is your chance to shape your Leeds experience, gain leadership skills, and make real change on campus.

Step up. Stand out. Lead your Union!

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