Leave bar and retail jobs alone. There are many excellent part-time jobs available for students that have probably never even occurred to you… yet.
While enrolled in school, working a part-time job is a great way to expand your network, make new friends, and (most importantly) make some extra money. Our National Student Money Survey found that 62% of students work part-time jobs. But it can be extremely intimidating to enter the cutthroat world of part-time job searching. Every student and their dog is searching for a way to increase their student loan income, which frequently only covers the cost of rent.
Instead, why not increase your chances of landing something great by looking where others don’t? Here are some part-time job ideas for students that you probably haven’t considered yet.
The hardest part of working during term time is juggling shifts with your studies. That’s why most universities recommend you work no more than 15 hours per week. Our guide on how to balance a job and university can help.
8 Best Jobs for Students:
1. Student Brand Ambassador
If you’re extroverted, enthusiastic, and outgoing, a career in PR is a great fit. Many businesses are interested in using student brand managers (also known as student ambassadors) to promote their products online. You have access to the student market as a student, which is absolutely priceless to brands.
What does a student brand ambassador do?
Frequently, companies will request that you post about them on your social media pages in order to interest your friends. Or, they might offer you a small commission in exchange for helping them spread the word. Another well-liked option for students is doing PR for bars, clubs, and student nights (where you get paid a small commission for each person you bring into the bar). Making a Facebook event and inviting everyone in your residence halls, or posting flyers around campus, can make this simple.
While it can look like easy money, promoting events for clubs is a late-night job. It’s important not to let it interfere with your lectures the next day. Most companies will ask to see your social media profiles when you apply. Knowing people is essential to PR. Start working on expanding your network of friends and online followers if you can. Students interested in a career in marketing will find this type of work especially helpful. It’s a fantastic way to network as well. But beware—companies that use student brand ambassadors frequently entice you with gifts and prizes or portray the position as “valuable experience” rather than paying you a salary. Get on board only if the company pays the minimum wage. You wouldn’t wait tables for “the experience,” would you?
Start by looking up positions for “student brand manager” or “student brand ambassador” online. If your preferred brands are actively seeking brand ambassadors, you can also check their websites directly.
2. Personal Tutor
Parents will spend a lot of money to ensure that their children receive good grades. That money might go right into your pocket if you have confidence in your field. Private tutoring is a lucrative career that also works well from home because you can conduct lessons via video calls.
What skills do you need to be a tutor?
To be a successful tutor, you’ll need excellent grades, tolerance, and some degree of confidence working with children. A job as a language tutor is a great way to improve your resume. Additionally, it gives you the opportunity to teach abroad over the summer (although teaching English is also a great way to find TEFL employment abroad).
If you like a subject and are always good at it, use your skills to make money and help someone achieve their best. An added perk is that some parents will even give you a bonus if their child gets the grades that they want. How to get started: Find out everything you need to know in our guide to making money as a tutor.
3. Resident Assistant
If you live in student halls and hate the idea of moving out next year, becoming a resident assistant (RA) could be the perfect job for you.
What do resident assistants do?
RA responsibilities essentially involve serving as the building’s live-in supervisor. If a student has an electrical problem, discovers a wasp nest by their window, or has a fire in their kitchen, they will go to you. You won’t have to resolve these problems on your own, so don’t worry. RAs merely serve as a liaison between students and the landlords of student housing. This prevents them from being inundated with emails every day.
While you don’t technically get paid for this position, you will get to live in residence halls free of charge (or at a discounted rate). With housing costs taking up a huge chunk of students’ Maintenance Loans, this is sure to save you a lot of money each month. As an RA, you might also be required to run some team-building exercises like movie nights and pub crawls, which can be fun.
How to get started: Contact your university housing provider to see if there are any RA vacancies up for grabs.
4. Babysitting
Use your many years of experience bossing around your younger siblings to earn some extra cash. Lots of working parents need someone to pick their children up from school or the nursery and keep them entertained until they get home. That’s where flexible university timetables come in handy. If you’re good with kids, this is a great option. The money is usually pretty decent too.
What skills and experience do you need to be a babysitter?
Having a driving license is usually an advantage (but by no means essential). You can also stick to offering your services at night instead. Admittedly, this will involve less work, as you’ll spend most of your shift being paid to watch TV while the little ones sleep.
Getting some informal experience working with children while you are at university might come in handy if you choose to work as an au pair abroad, or move into primary teaching.
How to get started: By reading our guide on how to make money babysitting. Then, let everyone know that you’re looking for gigs. Look out for ads on university notice boards too. You can sign up with agencies, but they will take a cut of any money you make.
5. Working for your University
Sometimes the best opportunities are right under your nose. There are lots of different jobs available within universities. You could work at your university, both during term and as a summer job.
What jobs do universities offer?
Student union jobs are a clear choice. While making money, you’ll get to see your friends, though if you’re desperate to join in the fun, this could also be torturous. Many colleges are eager to employ students to contact alumni and solicit donations. Even though this work can be uncomfortable, it usually pays well. Since these shifts typically take place in the evenings, they won’t conflict with classes.
Another fantastic choice is to become a student ambassador for your university, which is very similar to becoming a brand ambassador. As a student ambassador, you might be expected to speak at public gatherings and go to schools to promote your university and draw in new students.
These jobs typically have great flexibility and are paid. This makes it simple to fit your work schedule and deadlines.
How to get started: Check out your university’s website, as most will have a jobs page with different options.
6. Working as a Film or Television Extra
Rather than spending all your time watching Netflix, why not be on Netflix yourself? Ok, we can’t guarantee that you’ll definitely end up on Netflix if you become an extra, but there’s certainly a chance of it happening. That’s good enough for us.
How do you become an extra?
You don’t actually need any qualifications or prior experience to work as an extra. You only need to have a strong work ethic and patience. You may be asked to work on short notice and the hours can be fairly long. However, depending on the position, you might be making more than £80 per day.
How to get started: Read our guide to making money as an extra and get signed up with an agency.
7. Temp Work
Not interested in consistently arriving at the same location? It might be a good idea to register with temporary staffing companies that offer employees to companies in need of an extra pair of hands for the day.
What are the benefits of temping?
The benefit of this type of work is the wide variety of tasks you can perform. Numerous new people will be introduced to you, and the pay is respectable. Additionally, you won’t have to deal with the obligation of a long-term job, and you can decide when you can and cannot work.
The downside of temp work is that you won’t be entitled to the same employment rights as part-time workers. The most common positions for temp jobs are catering, bar work, or hosting events. From serving drinks at conferences to dressing up as a mascot to promote Pepperamis in the street, this is a good way to make money as and when you really need it. Remember that if you do temp work, you’ll need to declare your own tax. We’ve got everything you need to know in our tax guide.
How to get started: You’ll need to sign up with a staffing agency for this sort of work (or two, if you’re really keen!).
8. Pet Sitter
You can get paid to spend time with pets! Becoming a pet sitter can be the perfect university student job. Because you can set your own hours, it’s easy to balance this job with your university classes, and you could end up earning £40 or more each day.
What does a pet sitter do?
In other words, you will be looking after someone else’s pet while they are unable to, like while they are at work. This way, owners don’t have to use a cattery or kennel. Sometimes, it works out cheaper for them too. As a pet sitter, you may be responsible for feeding them, walking them, playing with them, and making sure they stay safe. If you’re unable to commit to a full day (or even overnight stays), you can also consider becoming a dog walker for a few hours per week.