Getting a student job is essential for many as the student finance loan can sometimes barely cover rent. This post will give you ideas of where you can get a student job while in full time education.

Casual Work

Casual work is the most flexible type of student job. Typically lots of shifts are offered out to lots of people. You may be required to reply to a text message or, at the start of each week, fill in a timetable saying when you would be able to work. This means you do not have to worry about taking time off during term breaks as you can say you are not available to work, there is no obligation for you to work. The best industry for casual work for students is the catering and hospitality industry. If your town or city has a large football or other sports stadium that does hospitality then there is a high chance they will use casual employment contracts. If you are looking for longer hours and don’t mind the potential for unsociable hours, factories and large warehouses may use casual employment. An example would be Royal Mail. The downside to casual contracts as a student job is that the employer is under no obligation to offer you work. Furthermore, they may be quite strict when it comes to not offering you any more shifts if you show up an hour late on more than one occasion or perform poorly.

Similarly, you can sign up with employment agencies. However, this may mean your student job will entail different roles at different locations. For example, one week you may do a shift as a catering assistant at a football stadium bar and the next week you may be working as an executive suite host at a cricket ground. There is the potential to do more shifts like this but be aware, you may get paid less per hour than the normal staff as agencies will take a cut.

Tutoring

Becoming a tutor is quite rewarding. If you have a passion for teaching then this may be a great student job and enjoy yourself. As a student, you can sign up for a tutoring website like Tutorful and and start tutoring for free. There are many other sites that allow you to do this, however I have personal experience with Tutorfulas a student job, and I can recommend it. Tutorful take a cut of your profit of 20 % – 25 %. Bearing that in mind, before you become a tutor make sure you are aware that it uses up more of your time than you would think. If somebody books you in for a 1 hour lesson, you will need to prepare and commute. As a student, you typically charge between £15 – £20 per hour. Minus the 25% cut and assuming that there is an extra hour of time spent preparing and commuting, you could end up with £11.25 for two hours of work, which is below minimum wage. If you are willing to put in the time at the start, you will become more efficient when preparing lessons, and will perhaps not need to prepare as much for subjects you have already created material for. You will also be able to charge more as your business grows. Finally, you will considered as self-employed so you are responsible for declaring and paying any taxes.

Local Business

Without sounding too much like your older family members telling you to walk into town with a CV asking every business, in student areas, local businesses can be keen to hire students as their trade increases during term time. If you live in a student area, think about what is within walking distance and politely ask if they have any vacancies. Small pubs and cafes are best for this as they are unlikely to have any kind of online jobs portal. Alternatively, if you find a larger business like a supermarket, then they may have the option to be flexible around your term dates so that you can go home over Christmas without having to quit your student job.

Student’s Union

Most student’s unions (SU) are responsible for running things like shops, pubs, bars, cafes, cinemas and lots of other things. When it comes to understanding your timetable, you’re not going to find any other business that is better than your SU. If your SU has a reception, ask if they have an online student job page. Another benefit is that you may get free perks with the job such as free printing or discounts at your campus cafe!

Transferring from Home

If you had a job back at home with a company that has branches all over the nation, try asking your manager if it is possible to transfer between branches. If there is a vacancy, companies can be willing to do this because you’ve been already been trained and they can spend less time on the hiring process.

Have you had a student job? If so, where did you work and how did you go about getting your role? What tips would you give for someone looking for a student job? Leave a comment in the discussion below to share your thoughts on this topic.

Andrew