Why Every IT Undergraduate Should Join an IEEE Student Branch?
What three years of volunteering taught me that no lecture ever could
In March 2023, I was handed a simple job, help with logistics for a student event called IEEE Adaharaya, which was an online event. I didn’t think much of it. I made presentations, tracked registrations, supported hosting and made sure things were where they needed to be.
That month, I was named Volunteer of the Month.
It was a small recognition, but it changed how I saw myself. Two years later, I was chairing the IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Affinity Group at the University of Vavuniya, coordinating activities at the Sri Lanka Section level and handling Program and Delivery works at an initiative Project of IEEE Sri Lanka, Challenge Sphere 2024 as a Project Vice Chair.
If you’re an IT undergraduate wondering whether joining your IEEE Student Branch is worth the time, here’s my honest answer: it might be the most valuable thing you do outside the classroom.
1. You learn skills your degree doesn’t teach
A degree teaches you to write code, design databases, and pass exams. It rarely teaches you how to run a meeting, handle a missed deadline from a teammate, or convince a speaker to give up their Saturday for your event.
IEEE teaches you all of that, often the hard way.
When I served as Project Co-Chair for JamborIEEE 2023, we brought together the IEEE Student Branches of the University of Vavuniya and the University of Jaffna for a physical event with more than 100 participants. Coordinating two universities, a venue, a schedule, and dozens of volunteers taught me more about project management than any textbook chapter.
Later, when I worked as a Software Engineer and Project Manager during my industrial training, I realized I had already practiced much of that job through IEEE.
2. You get real leadership experience, early
Most students wait until their first job to lead anything. In an IEEE Student Branch, you can lead in your second year.
In 2023/2024, I became Vice Chair of our WIE Affinity Group, which was newly started at the time. We had no established system, no past events to copy, and very few members. We had to grow our volunteer base from the ground up and create sessions that encouraged women in IT.
One of my proudest moments was organizing WIE’s first awareness session within a single week. I handled the organizing, designed the materials, wrote the content, and moderated the session. No volunteers. Just the executive committee members. We were new to community, so we had to find a keynote speaker as well as find audience as well. Keynote speaker was also a connection from a IEEE community I made around my self. We spread mouth to mouth; Flyers; WhatsApp Community Messages and with all we got a audience who was enthusiastic about what we are trying to pull up.
The following year, I became Chair. Leading a group you helped build is a very different kind of responsibility, and it shaped how I think about teamwork and ownership.
3. You connect beyond your own campus
Studying at a regional university can sometimes feel isolating. IEEE removes that barrier.
Through IEEE, I served as a coordinator for the Collaborative Activities Sub-Committee of the IEEE Sri Lanka Section Student Activities Committee (SLSAC), and as Vice Chair of Program and Delivery for IEEE Challenge Sphere 2024. These roles put me in touch with student leaders from universities across the country.
I also joined an industry visit to Virtusa through IEEE StudPro and later represented my university on a visit to MAS Intimates — Unichela in Panadura. Seeing how real companies work, and speaking with the people inside them, gave me perspective I couldn’t have found on campus alone.
4. You get opportunities to compete and grow technically
IEEE isn’t only about organizing events. It also pushes you to test your own skills.
I competed in hackathons like PearHack 2.0, where my team reached the semi-finals, and MoraUxplore 1.0, where we were also semi-finalists. I attended MADHACK 2023 at UCSC and joined sessions like UpSkills 2024.
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On the other side, I helped as a moderator, designer, and organizer for IEEEXtreme 18.0, a global 24-hour programming competition. Seeing a competition from the organizer’s side teaches you how much work goes into every event you attend.
Not winning everything is part of the point. Every competition showed me where my skills stood and what I needed to learn next.
5. Your CV starts to speak for you
When recruiters or interview panels read a fresh graduate’s CV, most of them look the same: degree, GPA, a final-year project.
IEEE experience makes yours different. It shows evidence of:
- Leadership (roles you held and teams you led)
- Initiative (events you started, not just attended)
- Teamwork across institutions
- Communication skills (moderating, presenting, writing content)
These are the qualities employers say they struggle to find in graduates, and IEEE gives you real examples to talk about in interviews.
6. You build confidence, one small task at a time
This is the benefit nobody lists, but it might matter most.
I didn’t start as a leader. I started in logistics, doing tasks that weren’t glamorous. But every event added a little more confidence: speaking to a crowd, making decisions under pressure, owning a result. Looking back the girl who was shivering to talk in-front of 10 people was leading numerous projects. The thought you get into your mind “Anyhow I can do this!” will make successful event completions.
How to get started
If you’re convinced, here’s how to begin:
- Become an IEEE student member. Student membership is discounted, and your branch can guide you through registration.
- Volunteer for anything. Logistics, design, registration, social media. Your first role doesn’t need to be impressive.
- Show up consistently. Reliable volunteers get noticed and trusted with bigger responsibilities.
- Explore affinity groups and chapters. Groups like WIE, the Computer Society, or others give you a focused community.
- Step up when there’s an opening. When a committee position opens, apply, even if you feel you’re not ready yet.
Final thoughts
Your degree will give you the knowledge. IEEE will give you the experience of using it with people, under pressure, for something real.
I joined to help create few presentations at a student event. I left with leadership experience, a national network, and the confidence to take on roles I once thought were for other people.
If your university has an IEEE Student Branch, don’t wait until final year. Join now.
If you’re an IEEE volunteer or thinking of joining, I’d love to hear your experience in the comments.
