We’ve discussed here previously how great a shock to the system it can be when the student bubble bursts and you are cast into the unforgiving world of full-time employment. Why then, you might ask, would you want to taint the halcyon days of your time at university with the inconvenience and general tedium of a part-time job? It’s called ‘work’ for a reason, after all – if it was that fun, they’d probably think of a better name for it.
Well, for one thing, you may be compelled into taking on a few hours of work per week by economic necessity – unless you happen to have the luxury of a bottomless trust fund, or a personal bullion vault in an off-shore tax haven. No, thought not.
But there are plenty of other reasons, too. For one thing, increased competition for jobs means that employers won’t necessarily be battering down your door with offers when you graduate. You’ll need to be able to demonstrate that you have some work skills as well as the ability to pass exams.
While student jobs are often not the most glamorous, showing that you can hold down some sort of paid employment and don’t mind putting in a day’s work will be of more interest to a future employer than yet another anecdote about this one time on your gap year.
Working student jobs can even be a way to meet people and maintain some contact with the real world outside of the student bubble – whether it’s back home over the holidays, or for a few hours per week in the evenings or weekends during term time. Here are some of the more viable ways to earn some pocket money as a student that needn’t involve the loss of your dignity/soul:
Working in a bar or restaurant
Bars and restaurants are the traditional domain of student jobs, whether you’re propping one up or serving drinks behind it. Student towns are never short of licensed premises, and there’s a strong argument that if you’re going to be spending half your time in bars anyway, you may as well try to get paid for some of it. There are plenty of advantages, too.
Working in a bar or restuant can be fun, particularly if you’re a ‘people person’ and like to make new friends. The hours are normally pretty flexible and you can fit them around your lectures by only working evenings and weekends. It can also stand you in good stead – I have one friend who liked his bartending job at university so much he decided to make a career of it, and became the UK’s champion cocktail mixologist.
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