I have worked since I was 16 and I have always loved having a part-time job and earning my own money. When I first came to university working was a necessity, not an option. My student loan didn’t even cover my rent, let alone living expenses and I hate asking my parents for money, so that meant finding work.
In first year I had absolutely no idea how to apply for jobs, although I had worked since I was 16, I came from a small town where the two jobs I had were discovered through word of mouth, and needed no experience. So…where to look, what to apply for, how many hours could I afford to work a week, what did I need to be earning to survive, and what even was minimum wage for 18 year olds?!
SUSU
I have never worked for SUSU but after walking round campus it’s obvious how many students they employ. From the SUSU Shop to The Bridge, SUSU could be a perfect way to fit employment in with your studies, especially since it works with term-time dates and around your timetable too.
Friends love the fact that SUSU will fit your hours around your timetable
Bars and Clubs
My first port of call in first year was Gumtree. Although admittedly not a great site for finding serious work, it’s actually pretty good for finding part time work, particularly in bars and clubs.
During my first year I worked in the coatroom of a local club. It meant getting to work for 10pm and leaving at 2/3am (if we were lucky), every Friday and Saturday. For the night owls amongst you this might sound ideal, but for me it was pure torture. It wiped out my entire weekend as I spent most of Saturday and Sunday in bed recovering from the late night, but I stuck at it, made friends amongst the staff and the pay kept me going. There are plenty of clubs and bars in the city to choose from if this seems like your kind of thing!
Restaurants
After finishing first year I decided that I wanted to stay in Southampton for the summer and find a job in the city, as I was unlikely to be able to find work back home. I headed out into the nearby high streets with my CV and a determined attitude. I spent one day handing out my CV and by the end of the day I had 3 job offers in various restaurants. For the next two years I was a waitress, working 20-25 hours a week (mainly at weekends), earned more than enough money to keep myself going and fortunately had a boss that understood that university came first.
I’d recommend handing in your CV by hand, and aim to go in the morning (10-11:30) or in the middle of the afternoon (3-3:30) on a weekday, not a weekend. You want to go when they are the quietest and the manager is most likely to be available. Don’t just hand your CV to a member of staff and then wander away - ask to talk to the manager, engage them in a conversation, show them that you are comfortable talking to strangers and are a friendly and approachable person. If you are not friendly and approachable, and don’t like strangers, then a job in the service industry isn’t for you.
Another important tip is to make you CV as short as possible, and avoid phrases like “I give 110%”, because it doesn’t read well. The CVs that stood out to us were the ones that fitted onto one page but still showed the key aspects of your personality and your achievements. Most restaurants (particularly chain restaurants) have their own training program and so don’t require previous experience. Don’t be afraid to go in and show them that you are capable of doing the job.
Tutoring
When I graduated from my undergraduate degree I no longer wanted to work at the restaurant - instead I wanted something that was more flexible where I could set my own hours, so I set up a profile for free on a website that connects tutors with potential tutees. I now have two regular students and have had more offers that I had to turn down due to a lack of time. Perhaps more suitable for postgraduate students (a certain level of expertise is required) than undergraduates, tutoring is actually super fun and a whole new set of skills. Plus the pay is fabulous; you set your own wage so you can expect to be earning £15-30 an hour, depending on your level of skill.
I love being able to set homework and write quizzes
Consultancy
For those interested in research, the University of Southampton has hundreds of active research projects which hire interns and consultants all year round, not just over the summer. Ask your lecturers and keep an ear out for what’s going on in your department. I currently work as a consultant for a Microsoft project run through ECS Partners and again, it lets me set my own wage and my own hours, and working from home is a treat compared to walking around a restaurant all day.
There are also opportunities at the University's Temp Bank, and as a student ambassador too.
Right, that was a pretty comprehensive summary, and in reality there are so many jobs out there that you really don’t have to settle for something you aren’t comfortable with. While some people love working in bars and clubs (and there enough of those jobs out there), really think about whether or not it’s for you before committing yourself to it. Most importantly, make sure that your boss is aware that University needs to come first, and they can’t expect you to just cover someone’s shift if it’s at a time that you have specified you can’t work.
In my experience, finding a job has never been too difficult and as Southampton has a huge student population, many employers are used to hiring students and are understanding about them going home for the Easter break and working around their University timetable.
Happy job hunting!
Emma
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