Asides from all the parties and lectures, student life is synonymous with being skint most of the time; your student loan instalment seems a fortune but after you’ve taken out rent food and travel for the semester, you’ll be left with little else.
There are two options: 1) persuading your parents or family members to support you, or 2) getting a part-time job. For the majority, I’m sure, option 2 will be the most viable.
Many students worry about their finances; it’s almost impossible to live solely off student loans and enjoy university life, but they also worry about it affecting their education. There are a few ways to make sure you get the most out of your education without compromising a healthy work/ study/ life balance
1. Firstly, are you entitled to more funding?
You could be entitled to extra grants or bursaries – extra financial help that doesn’t need to be paid back. Universities should offer an additional grant of £319 to students who are paying the full tuition fee getting the full maintenance grant; ask with student services, they should be happy to help you.
Also it is worth making some enquires as to whether you are entitled to a bursary subject to your discipline or circumstances i.e. there are a variety of grants or scholarships available for students studying art or students from low income families.
2. Be organised
If you do decide you need to work part-time to earn extra cash, keep a calendar/dairy – add all the dates of your lectures, assignment submission dates, exams, study periods and the times you are available, or have agreed, to work. A big year planner slapped up above your desk is perfect as you can clearly see all the dates and how a week or month will be divided to avoid confusion.
3. Work on Your Application
For any job, whether a starting a full time career or just seeking casual part time work, you will need to put together a good application with cover letter and CV. Make sure you spend time tailoring your application to the job description and address it to the correct person. Describe all the work experience you have on your CV, and check online for samples.
4. Keep it on Campus
First things first, if you’ve decided you need to get a part time job, hop on over to your university Employability Team or Student Services – they should be able to tell you of any positions available with companies in your field of study – this would look awesome on you CV and improve your employability once you graduate.
They should also be able to inform you about positions available within the campus such as the student unions, the cafes or any other roles. Next, ask at the student union if there are any positions, just in case! It makes a lot more sense if you can get a job at uni, especially if you are a living in halls or close to the campus.
5. Ask Around
Check with friends or classmates to see if they know of any available vacancies. Sometimes it’s who you know, not what you know.
6. Agencies
If it’s just a small cash injection you need, why not consider casual work? There are plenty of companies and agencies who look for temporary or casual workers for events – a great place to look for this type of work is gumtree.com. It may also be a great idea to contact some of the employment agencies as they will have plenty of these types of positions available and they will also have temporary contracts’, perfect for those long holidays.
7. Search Online
There are tons of online job sites helping you to find employment near to where you live. Monster, Indeed and LinkedIn are some of the best websites to use. For something more temporary, you could a website like Seasonal Jobs.
8. Go Freelance!
Why not use your existing skills, or the skills you are acquiring whilst at university, to allow you to work for yourself? Becoming freelance/self employed allows you total flexibility and the freedom to fit the work around your studies and existing lifestyle.
Have a think about which of your skills can make you money online, it could be anything from writing, web design, computer assistance or repairs, graphic design, film making/editing, translating, Sales, babysitting and so on.
To get started as a freelancer, firstly, you need to call HM Revenue and customs to declare your intension to become self employed. Visit this website for more information here.
Next, advertise your services by creating a website, placing adverts in relevant newspapers/magazines, online via sites such as gumtree.com or create a profile on a dedicated freelance networking site, such as peopleperhour.com who will help you connect to businesses and individuals requiring your services.
And finally, remember to invoice correctly, keep a record of all your jobs and payments and save 10% of each payment for tax – you probably won’t have to pay all of this as tax but it is best to do so – a hefty tax bill is not healthy for a student.
9. Consider Voluntary Work
If you are more concerned about boosting your skills and work experience, consider volunteering when a student. Although generally unpaid, you’ll do something beneficial, meet inspirational people and also boost your CV.
10. Practise Interview Questions
The chances are, unless you are very lucky, you’ll need to have an interview before getting hired. Make sure you are confident, friendly and approachable, sometimes first impressions are everything so dress smartly.