We undertake education primarily to gain knowledge but ultimately to get a job. Whether you are looking for temp (temporary) work to get by at uni or your sights are set on building your resume for a career, below are helpful tips on how to set about seeking work as a student.
What is in a job?
How to write a CV
How to structure a CV
Where and how to submit your CV
What you should NOT do when writing a CV
Top part-time jobs for students
Volunteer Work
What is in a job?
A question not many ask themselves is what you want from a job. There are no wrong answers to this question. It comes down to personal preference and what you want. In this regard, we recommend that you structure your goals within these categories:
- Needing money.
- Setting-up a career.
- Buildinga CV.
Needing money is almost always a desire. Even those one may consider to have money still have needs. The question you have to answer for yourself is whether money is essential to the pursuit of your studies and/or your stay in the UK. Remember that most student visas limit you to 20 work hours per week during term-time so you are unlikely to earn lots of money whilst studying. But if you absolutely need the funds, then you can make finding part-time work a priority.
Setting-up a career involves getting into position to appeal to prospective clients whether through qualifications or experience. The most obvious routes to achieving this remain via internships and/or graduate schemes. These programmes are not always paid a full wage. For some, you may receive a stipend or expenses. But what they do is establish you within your industry of choice, giving you valuable insight and experience into its inner workings whilst also earning the trust of prospective employers. Companies – especially multinationals – are very keen on hiring people who understand their ‘culture.’ So having experienced working at one firm, even as an intern, stands you in good stead for getting hired by a rival firm.
Building your CV is simply gaining life and work experience that would appeal to prospective employers. The two categories already mentioned go some way to helping with this but another sector you may want to consider is charity or voluntary work. Most charities in the UK are setup to (and required to) run as businesses. The only difference is they do not operate for-profit. So working for a charity should get you the same valuable experience as working for a business with the added benefit of showing yourself to be someone who cares for others and society, in general.
How to write a CV
You should always approach writing a CV from the perspective of the employer. Sure, you want to showcase yourself and your achievements. But in the end, you are seeking employment from someone. And their view of you, as reflected in your CV, will determine whether or not your application is successful. Avail yourself of these useful tips:
- Your CV should be no longer than two pages(excluding a cover letter, see more below). If the job is any good, it is likely to receive several applications and you do not want yours to standout for being too long.
- Limiting your CV to two pages means you have to be concise, straight-to-the-point and clear. Remember that your CV is the window into your career so far. If successful, an interview is likely to follow which would give you the opportunity to further expand on its contents.
- Understand what the employer is looking for and tailor your skills and achievements to meet this demand. This does NOT mean embellishing your CV. Avoid making outlandish claims that can easily be debunked or challenged in an interview. Be confident in your own abilities and if they suit the role for which you are applying then make sure they are stated prominently.
How to structure a CV
- Cover Letter – We recommend adding a cover letter which is an extra page supplementary to your two-page CV. While the CV is more structured and objected, the cover letter can be more subjective in which you can address your employer and the role you are applying for directly. Your cover letter should be about ten sentences long stating your name and what you currently do. It should state where you heard of the role advertised and why you believe you are the best person to execute said role in a professional capacity. If you have a personal connection to the firm (for example; were you recommended by someone already working at the firm?) Download an example of one here.
- Contact details – start with your full name, home address, email address and contact number. If you think it is relevant, include a link to your LinkedIn profile. We do not recommend sharing any personal social media pages such as links to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.
- Education and qualifications – Start by listing your most recent education and/or qualifications and then proceed in descending order. Begin with University (whether in course or completed), then High School, (the equivalent of) Secondary School and end with Primary School. Remember to include the name and address of each institution as well as years attended. If applying to a UK company with foreign qualifications, try converting them into a UK context. If you need help with this, contact us here.
- Employment history – As with the education section above, start with your most recent job. Make sure to include paid work (full-time and part-time), voluntary work, internships, placements and shadowing roles. Also state the duration spent at each employer to the closest year and month. Highlight the skills and responsibilities you were assigned in each role. If you think a particular skill is especially relevant to the role you are applying for (especially if it is in a recent job) do not hesitate to expand on it in a bit more detail.
- Skills & Achievements – You can split this section into two parts: the Skills sub-section should be for practical expertise you have so far obtained such as IT, languages, leadership, online courses, having a driver’s license, etc. Be more specific and expansive if it is relevant to the role for which you are applying such as Adobe Photoshop, etc. Under Achievements you can list any awards you won. No award is too small including “Employee of the Month.” State it and the number of times you won it.
- Hobbies and interests – Some people tend to omit this part but we think it is important. Employers are increasingly looking for employees with an “X factor.” In other words, candidates who bring that little bit extra. Listing interesting and non-mundane hobbies may be what makes the difference. Therefore, avoid stating obvious things like “reading” or “socialising.” Aim for more unique activities like playing an instrument, hiking, hosting events, learning languages (state which ones) or studying a certain subject that is different from your educational curriculum (for example: interest in space, etc.).
- References – The standard requirement is two. Getting more than two references just makes your CV unnecessarily long. It is also perfectly acceptable to put “References available upon request” as some employers may not require references. But always have them ready just in case you are asked. Remember to always ask the relevant people for their permission before citing them as a reference.
Where and how to submit your CV
- In-person: The good, old-fashioned in-person CV hand-in is still very much in fashion. This works especially well for jobs with a smaller workforce and/or where the decision-maker works within the establishment; for example, applying for a part-time job at a bar or local restaurant. The decision-maker and/or their colleagues will get a chance to see you first-hand when you hand-in your CV so it is important to smile and make a good impression. Enquiring about the place and working conditions in a friendly manner will stand you in good stead.
- Employer website: Most employers these days will provide either an email or a form through which to send your CV. Make sure to get some form of confirmation that your CV was received. If you do not receive one within 24hrs, do not hesitate to email the same address requesting one.
- LinkedIn & other online platforms: LinkedIn has increasingly become the online destination for headhunters seeking to recruit staff. A well curated page with a detailed CV puts you in the shopping window for prospective headhunters. You can also upload your CV to sites like CV-Library which does the burden of linking employers to candidates with the skills they are looking for.
What you should NOT do when writing a CV
- Do not make your CV too long. Two pages at most plus a cover letter and references as supplements.
- Do not include a picture of yourself. As sad as it is to admit, prejudice in our society continues to exist. An employer’s idyllic vision of a candidate may not match what they see in your photo. Let your skills, education and qualifications speak for themselves.
- Do not include links to personal social media pages (excluding LinkedIn) unless relevant to the role you are applying for.
- Do not embellish your CV. It can be easy to get carried away in trying to exalt your accomplishments. Remember that you may be invited for an interview where you will be cross-examined by an experienced interviewer. There is nothing more off-putting to an employer than a candidate whose interview does not match their CV.
- Avoid getting too personal and chummy. Be respectful and cordial. You can always be a little more relaxed at the interview stage if your interviewer is that way inclined.
Download a sample CV we have created for you here.
Top Part-time jobs for students
- Retail: This includes anything from your local supermarket to working in a clothes or shoes store. You can expect to be working on the tills, at checkout, cashpoints or customer service. Or stocking shelves. Employers in retail are always looking for young and dynamic candidates as this tends to be a role mostly executed whilst standing with the ability to be agile an added bonus.
- Hospitality: This would include the bar, restaurant and hotel industries within which you can apply for a host of roles including: bar staff, cloakroom attendant, cleaning, promoting events, manning the tills, waiting tables, front of house, kitchen staff, etc. A certainty with every university town is that you can count on it having bars, restaurants, pubs and hotels. And most of these establishments count on the student workforce to fill these roles. In so-called “student towns” (meaning towns that essentially operate around students being in session such as Loughborough) workload may fluctuate seasonally. Nevertheless, hospitality is the most common entry to a young student’s work life.
- Agency work: Agency work (or Temp work) involves registering with an agency who then offer you roles as and when they become available. This is especially popular with international students who are limited to 20hrs of work per week. It means you are able to find work week-by-week without having to commit to long-term contracts or hours that could exceed what you are legally allowed to do. The firm that hires you pays a fee to the agency and the agency pays your wages. The range of roles you can be offered can be very wide: from nursing roles to festival gigs, stadium attendants, concert security, etc. If nothing else, it gives you the chance to learn new skills and try your hand at different roles in different industries.
- Call centre: These are customer service centres that handle incoming and outgoing customer calls for an organisation. 81% of the UK economy is in service industries which means customer service is an indispensable element of the economy. With working from home now a staple of work life, there is a possibility that you may be offered a call centre role working remotely but that would depend on the employer. The other advantage for international students is that many firms in the service industry operate within continental Europe, in particular, and overseas, in general. Meaning mastery of a second language may stand you in good stead.
NOTE: Whilst it is right to approach these roles as part-time, remember that they can also be the outset of a career path in these particular industries. Three CEO’s of the biggest supermarket chains in the UK (Morrisons, Sainsbury and Marks & Spencer) all started their career on the shop floor. It is therefore important to excel in whatever role you undertake not least because your employer may have to serve as reference for a future role.
- Babysitting/Au Pair: This is the classic part-time role students have worked in from time immemorial. It is especially appealing for international students as new parents are increasingly wanting their kids to be fluent in a second language. Research confirms that the most desirable second languages new British parents seek for their off springs are: French, German, Spanish and Mandarin. Not being fluent in any of these does not automatically rule you out from becoming an au pair but it is worth noting if you are. If you are expecting what to charge, have a look at local babysitting ads. You can expect to be paid over £11 an hour even if you are not trained in childcare. You are also likely to need a basic DBS check to look after small children even if the specific parents interested in your services do not ask for one. Create a free profile on Care Babysitting to find local babysitting jobs.
- Pet-sitting & Dog-walking: Those of you who cannot handle babies may fare better with pets. The advantage with this is the flexibility it may offer, fitting in nicely around your lectures and the rest of your timetable. Join Care Pet Care and Tailster to find pet-sitting and dog-walking jobs near you.
Volunteer Work
As already discussed, do not let the fact that Volunteer Work does not pay a wage put you off seeking work in that sector. It will boost your CV and your social awareness just as much. Here are a few websites you can consult for Volunteer Work:
National Association for Voluntary and Community Action