How to find a part-time job at university
Many students wish to additionally support their social life, clothing allowance, travel costs, and other expenses through part-time work. Students may also undertake part-time work as a route to gaining work experience which will help explore career options available to them and benefit their future career through networking and gaining skills.
Searching for a part-time job is not the same for everyone as you need to personalise how you filter the options available and fit it around your course. Use the guide and tips below to research how to find a part-time job at university effectively.
Download this as a PDF tip sheet here: How to find a part time job (PDF)
There are a number of key considerations to make when thinking about part-time job options during your studies.
- Location from your accommodation and access to public transport to arrive on time.
- Pay per hour
- Application process
- Skills and/or qualifications required
- Employer reputation and culture
- Contract type - do you need to work holidays/Christmas/term-time?
- Hours per week (zero hour contract or regular hours) - the university strongly advises that you work no more than 15 hours per week (undergraduate) or 6 hours per week (postgraduate), as additional hours may adversely affect your studies.
Where can I find part-time jobs during my studies?
Once you are at university, you can use the University’s Career Zone to search for local and national work. Alternatively, here are some websites where you can search for roles and gain career advice on interviews and the application process:
- https://www.gov.uk/find-a-job
- https://uk.indeed.com/
- https://www.reed.co.uk/
- http://savethestudent.org/student-jobs
If you want flexible work that fits well around your study commitments then the University itself employs hundreds of students:
- Become a student ambassador to be paid to talk about your experiences and work with departments across the University.
- Work as part of the temporary staff bank to complete roles such as administrators, receptionists, personal assistants, customer services, and much more!
- Talk to current students on Unibuddy to ask them about how they found gaining part-time work.
You can find out more by visiting our webpages on student and graduate employment on campus.
CV (curriculum vitae)
A CV (curriculum vitae) is a document used when applying for jobs. It allows you to summarise your education, skills and experience enabling you to successfully sell your abilities to potential employers. Write a CV to ensure you can highlight your skill set. You will also be able to recognise any gaps in your skills or experience which will assist you in shortlisting roles and making applications.
- Our Career Zone have a CVs webpage containing rich information on writing an effective CV.
- The UCAS webpages have lots of information to take you through step by step the details needed in a CV.
- Reed CV builder helps you create a CV online.
How to build your skills
82% of all jobs now require digital skills. The government has created free online courses to improve digital and numeracy ability on a range of topics from digital marketing, managing social media, coding and presentation skills. MOOCs (Massive open online courses) are also available on a range of topics from basics of teaching, first aid, cyber security and business management. This will give you the opportunity to keep practising your study skills, develop professional expertise and network with experts from many universities and businesses. Visit the Learn Exeter webpages for more information.
Volunteering can help you to develop new skills and get useful work experience. It’s also a good way to support your community and help others. You can find out more about volunteering from:
