Spring is a time of turnover for many Bruins, as seniors prepare to graduate and eager-eyed freshmen stream in for admit days. Likewise, the more than 1,400 clubs on UCLA’s campus prepare for their own turnovers in leadership – whether that is in the form of hours of elections, multiple rounds of interviews or extensive applications.

For Wilson Crum, co-director of the Business in Entertainment Association’s film and TV committee, leading a club is not something to be taken lightly.

“If being a leader is that important to you, then put in the hard work as someone at the bottom of the totem pole and treat it seriously,” he said.

The competitive nature of applying for leadership positions can lead to challenges and tensions, said Mike Cohn, the director of Student Organizations, Leadership & Engagement, which oversees most student organizations on campus. Cohn added that while his team can help with guidance and mediation, it ultimately has no control over who ends up in leadership.

Garrett Roach, incoming president of the Undergraduate Business Society, said he had to write a 30-page application to outline his plans for the club, after which he was interviewed by the organization’s executive board.

“It’s … structured, given that there’s a lot of opportunities that come with being the president of such a large organization,” he said. “The executive board that is currently running the Undergraduate Business Society hand-selects the next president, so it’s not a democratic process.”

Becoming a club lead is the culmination of demonstrated effort and commitment to the club, which is a process that begins as soon as students join clubs, said Kaitlyn Callo, incoming co-president of CruX, an organization that brings awareness to the emerging neurotechnology industry as well as supports students with related career development opportunities.

Callo, a second-year psychology student who also individually studies artificial intelligence, said she believes her election as the club’s first female president in a long time was the result of her dedication over the past two years. She added that she was both a project manager and internal affairs officer for the club during her freshman year.

Leadership boards also assess likability factors when appointing new leaders, including whether they can see themselves hanging out with the applicant, said Crum, a second-year business economics student.

“It’s a really important factor that’s often glossed over and maybe that can be seen as being a bit superficial, but I’m not afraid to admit it,” he said. “Maybe you had a really good application and then get to the interview stage, and if your communication skills aren’t great, or there’s something a little bit off about how you presented yourself, we take that into consideration.”

Roach, a third-year economics student, added that fostering a strong network can set an applicant apart from others, especially since the majority of applicants are talented.

Leaders often feel apprehensive that they will not know how to solve certain challenges, said Yichun Li, outgoing executive producer of HOOLIGAN Theatre Company who graduated in winter quarter. Leading a club is often about learning from mistakes, she added.

Chiara Frank, outgoing executive director of Active Minds – a mental health advocacy organization under the Undergraduate Students Association Council’s Student Wellness Commission – said her most important advice to aspiring leaders is to be curious.

“Feel the curiosity and be driven by it and your work, and that will help you through the stress,” said Frank, a third-year neuroscience student. “You will get through those hurdles. Because your excitement or your passion is there, it will drive you through.”