Lectures, parties, projects, big brother and.... part time work. This is a topic that you will find regularly comes up for discussion amongst students. Be it as a way to cope financially, for work experience or just because they enjoy it, a lot more students are getting involved.Universities differ on their stand regarding part time work with some advising no part time work at all (Oxford) to those that would recommend a maximum of 20 hours. Whatever the individual policy of your university might be, the maxim is don't let it interfere with your studies.
So what jobs are available to students?
There are not a lot of sectors available to students but there is quite a variety of jobs to choose from. They range from the retail and leisure industries i.e. supermarkets, high street stores, bar work and waiting staff through to administrative work. There is also the opportunity to work in the universities' union. Some universities, for example Southampton, have a temp bank on which students can register their details for work ranging from working in the student unions, libraries, accommodation through to the university's offices.
Working for the union might range from working as bar staff at the union's clubs and bars, as a sales assistant in the union shops or a customer's advisor at student centres.
Working for the university or the student union does have the advantage of offering a student based environment, working and dealing with students, flexibility with rotas, and often a schedule to accommodate you. Some universities offer the chance for students in the upper years to live in the resident halls and act as mentors to the first year fledglings. While some might offer wages, others offer free or subsidized rent to the student mentors. There is a bit of responsibility involved with this role especially on nights when you are on duty, but it goes down well on your CV.
Retail work is perhaps one of the most famous sources of part time work for students. As most high street shops open on weekends, they are usually an ideal choice for students. The wage varies from location to location and also from shop to shop, but you are usually guaranteed above the minimum wage. The range for pay is about £5 per hour to £8 (London). Retail jobs can be quite appealing because they offer staff discounts and in some cases career progression. Some of the larger supermarkets like Tesco are quite supportive. If you are already working with them they do try to transfer you to a shop in whatever city you study in. They even offer training programmes and apprenticeships for those that might not want to go on to university and for university graduates – a graduate scheme. They also have an on-line support group for their student members, offering discounts in a variety of shops, advice on financial issues and other bits and bobs. Marks and Spencer is apparently another good company to work for.
If you are over 18, working in bars or waiting on tables may appeal to you. A lot of students like it because of the late hours and week-end work. While the wages are variable, one of the biggest incentives is the tips! So if you have the stamina to be on your feet all night and deal with people who might or might not be on their best form, it could be for you.
However, students may find working at VIP parties, film premieres and concerts as waiting staff more appealing. Check out these companies - Affordable Staff, Jam Staffing, The Admiral Group and The Esprit Group, As well as a chance to mix with the rich and famous, some do pay quite well – up to £8. There is also the opportunity to work as event stewards at festivals, concerts and sports events. See companies like Diamond Events Security for more information or contact the football stadiums directly.
Paid charity fund raising is another area that is worth exploring if you like interacting with people. Wages start from about £7 pounds including commission. Companies like Wesser and Partner or Dialogue Direct are good places to start.
For those with sugar coated tongues, an evening telesales job could be brilliant. Most pay a basic salary plus uncapped commission which could potentially lead to a lot of earnings.
For the more caring, care work can prove to be quite rewarding and serve as relevant work experience for some.
Some students manage to find more unusual jobs such as working as a podium dancer in a club, earning as much as £30 for just over an hour of dancing! Others who are a bit more resourceful work as tutors or teaching assistants.
Another interesting area that students could explore is web designing or coding. Look out for web designing agencies like Xenial Ltd or approach small companies directly.
If you need a cash plug once in a while, with no fixed contract, working in promotions i.e. handing out leaflets or freebies could also be a nice way of earning cash. These jobs are not regular and cannot be depended on. Still they are fun to do, not tedious and pay quite well - about £10 per hour. You have to register with a promotions company like Blackjack promotions see blackjack.co.uk.
If you like an admin job, register with a high street recruitment agency like Reed, Adeco etc. They do have part time places for students.
So what are the advantages of part time work? Apart from the extra cash, you can develop transferable skills such as time management, professionalism, problem solving, customer service and commercial awareness. If you are very lucky you may be able to find a job in the area in which you wish to pursue a career, doubly beneficial. With a part time job, you have the same legal rights as a full time worker so employers cannot discriminate against you.
Some students prefer to work full time during the holidays as opposed to during term times. You have about 2 – 3 months off and you could make quite a bit of money and save it up to be used during the term. Holiday jobs can also be a good time to look for work experience or an internship in an area in which you are interested. If your work placement or internship goes well, you may be asked to come back after you graduate. A holiday job also gives you the opportunity to try different roles and can help you decide which careers you might enjoy. They also provide lump sums of money at one go, useful for splashing out on something expensive.
Whether you decide to work during the term or holidays, remember that you have a tax free amount which is up to £6,035 for the year April 6 2008 – April 5th 2009. If you earn over this amount, you are liable to pay tax. Fill in a form P38(S) if you are only working a holiday job and will not exceed the amount above. Also remember to ask for a P45 on leaving an employer in order to avoid an emergency tax situation arising.
So what do students say about working part time?
Sanj who studied anatomy at King's College, worked at her university's student bar for pocket money. She found it convenient because of the flexible hours. She was able to take time off work, even up to a month, when she needed to concentrate on her degree “It was fun and enjoyable because you are working with people you know and serving people you know, I even managed to get tips from students! One disadvantage is that you may not get paid as much as someone working for a commercial company.”
Fatima, who is studying criminology, didn't find it quite as amusing. She worked in William Hill 27 hours a week. She hours were fixed even when she was swamped with coursework. “I think my university work definitely suffered because of the amount of hours I worked, however, I would still recommend part time work because it prepares you for the outside world “. She also found that working motivated her. “I found out that I didn't like taking orders from other people so I am extremely motivated to work hard and own my own business”.
Working does take time though and some students’ feel that time could have been better spent taking part in clubs and societies and enjoying university life. However, others will argue that working part time is a part of the university experience and that achieving a balance with regarding uni work, a social life and a part time job is key.
While working part time seems a good idea, once again the warning is not to do too much. Some courses require a lot more time that others so just because your friends who do other degrees are working longer hours doesn't mean you can. Also work load varies from university to university so find out what the recommended number of hours is from the career's advice service at your chosen uni.
There are a variety of things that you can do part time. They key is taking time to explore and finding out what's out there. You can do a lot of things part time including your degree!
A great website to use is e4s.co.uk (employment for Students). The have a variety of jobs in various parts of England. Most of the companies mentioned in this article recruit students from them and they have a lot of tips on internships, tax and general advice.
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