Most students choose to work at some point during their university studies perhaps to reduce the financial burden resulting from high tuition fees, the rising cost of living and limited funding. Alongside supporting you financially, working part-time provides a great opportunity to build your skillset, boost your CV and provide real examples to use in graduate job interviews.
In the university, students are allowed to work a maximum of 15 hours per week during term time in order to prevent their studies from being negatively impacted. International students should confirm if they have the right to work in the UK and comply with the working hours as permitted by their visa.
Getting started
A few key things you can consider while starting to look for part-time roles are as follows.
- Volunteering is a good way to start getting work experience and develop soft skills that many employers require.
- Each course has its own designated careers consultant who can provide the right advice and guidance, such as job websites to look for, tailoring your CV to the job requirements, making effective applications and preparing for interviews. Booking an appointment with your university careers consultant to check your CV and cover letters before applying for jobs can greatly improve your chances of securing a role.
- In order to work anywhere in the UK, you will need a National Insurance (NI) number, which is issued automatically to all UK nationals at the age of 16 or can easily be applied for online.
On-campus jobs
Registering with Brunel JobShop and getting your right to work checked, you will be able to apply to any of the on-campus jobs advertised. There are plenty of part-time jobs such as admin assistant, calling assistant, IT assistant, research assistant, teaching assistant, student ambassador, residence ambassador, events steward, library team member etc that are advertised. You can also choose to receive weekly emails for an update on new jobs added to the on-campus jobs board. For most jobs, you will need to provide your CV and cover letter explaining why you want the job and what you can bring to the role.
Off-campus jobs
Most commonly advertised off-campus jobs include retail assistant, waiting staff, administrator, tutor, promotor, receptionist, support worker etc. Off-campus jobs are also advertised on the Brunel jobs board in different categories such as vacation work, local employment, summer internships etc. Other websites to look for jobs include Indeed, Reed, Target jobs, Prospects, Total Jobs, Jobcentre plus, and Just Student Jobs.