Tips on Getting a Part-Time Job When You’re Studying

by | Mar 1, 2017 | Accommodation, Lancaster

The time after the Christmas period can be a particularly stressful one, especially for University students. It’s a time where you need to consider your studies when preparing for exams in the next couple of months, but you also want to make sure that you have enough money to eat something that’s more than beans on toast!

A lot of students, particularly at this time of year, are thinking about getting a part-time job to try and bolster their finances, so we’ve come up with some tips to getting yourself a part-time job while at University.

Check Out Your University

We aren’t saying that if you were to get a job, then you need to go straight to the University. What we are saying is that most student unions have facilities that can provide you with information about part-time work in the University and the surrounding area. For example, at Lancaster University, the Base in Alexandra Square has a window display highlighting the latest part-time positions at the University and around the area.

Make Sure It Doesn’t Interfere with Studies Too Much

It’s good to have a part-time job while you are studying, as it can break up your days that don’t have much studying involved. For example, if you were in University from Monday through to Wednesday and you had four days off the rest of the week, it would make sense for you to be bored.

During this time, having a part-time job would be perfect, as it would give you the chance to earn a little bit of money so that you could go and visit a new city or go on a nice day out with your friends during the weekend.

However, if you have a very busy timetable, then you need to make sure that you don’t take a job that will eat into your timetable; think about something that will benefit your studies as well as your pocket.

Get Your Name Out

One of the best things you can do in order to get a part-time job is to get your name out. This can be through going into shops and having a chat with the owners about how you want to work for their establishment, or even just sending a polite email addressing the fact that you are passionate about getting a job with them.

It doesn’t harm to spruce up your CV either. Make sure that it stands out from the rest of the student pack – you’re all in the same position, so it’s best to make yourself stand out so that you have a better chance of landing that job you want. Once that’s done, go to the shops in town and hand out your CV. The worst they can do is say that they aren’t hiring, but they will keep your CV on file, so they might call you when they have a new vacancy.

If That Doesn’t Work, You Can Earn Money Yourself

Sometimes, it can be the case where there are no available jobs; since hundreds of other students will be in the same position, it can be a little tricky. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get a part-time job through creative routes.

A popular option is complete market surveys and be part of research; these opportunities can result in a reward of £10 or something greater. If you do enough of these every now and then, it can give you a nice sum of money.

You could also do things like creating your own pieces of clothing and/or jewellery and selling it in town, become a ‘mystery diner’ so that you can judge restaurants and pubs around the country, sell any of your pieces of artwork if you like to do some painting on the side, busk on the street to show off your talents to the public but also making a little bit of money; the opportunities are endless.

The most important thing with getting a part-time job when studying is to make sure that you are happy doing both at the same time. Studying can be a stressful time, and if you are working in an environment where stress is also prevalent, then it will be a bad concoction and it could affect your studies, your work and, most importantly, your wellbeing.

At Student Housing Lancaster, we can provide you with fantastic student accommodation in Lancaster, meaning that if you have a part-time job in the centre of town, you don’t have to commute from campus to your workplace every few days, which is a massive bonus!

0 Comments