{"id":576,"date":"2023-09-22T10:50:52","date_gmt":"2023-09-22T09:50:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.cardiff.ac.uk\/futures-online\/?page_id=576"},"modified":"2024-07-31T13:28:37","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T12:28:37","slug":"part-time-jobs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.cardiff.ac.uk\/studentfuturesplus\/jobs-and-work-experience\/part-time-jobs\/","title":{"rendered":"Part-time jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many students have part-time jobs alongside their studies. A part-time job can make budgeting at university easier and is a great way to develop important employability skills<\/a> that graduate employers look for such as time management, communication skills and teamwork. Gaining experience in a real workplace can also help you to develop your commercial awareness<\/a> and understanding of how businesses work.<\/p>\n

In order to maintain a good balance with your studies, Cardiff University recommends working no more than 15 hours per week and if you are an international student, there will be specific restrictions attached to your visa about how many hours you can work.<\/p>\n

Whilst a lot of advice about job-searching<\/a> and CVs, applications and interviews<\/a> still applies, read our advice on this page to help you modify your approach for part-time jobs specifically.<\/p>\n

Common part-time jobs<\/h4>\n

Part-time jobs of the casual and flexible nature often required by university students are common in certain industries, such as\u00a0retail\u00a0<\/strong>(shops and supermarkets) and\u00a0hospitality\u00a0<\/strong>(bars, coffee shops and restaurants). Other popular part-time roles include promotional work for students nights, brand ambassador roles and freelance translation roles.<\/p>\n

Some part-time work is also very seasonal, meaning there is much higher demand for it at certain times of the year, typically over the summer<\/a> and in the run up to Christmas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How to find part-time jobs<\/h4>\n

It’s a good idea to start applying for part-time jobs early, especially if you know you will need the income from the job to support your studies.<\/p>\n

As with searching for graduate level roles,<\/a> we recommend utilising a variety of approaches to secure part-time work:<\/p>\n

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\n Chevron right<\/title>\n <\/path>\n<\/svg> Look for part-time job opportunities on campus<\/h2>

Jobshop<\/a> is a service linked to Cardiff University Students Union which advertises casual work within Cardiff University, the Students Union or local employers that is flexible alongside your studies.<\/p>\n

You can also apply for paid internships through Student Futures via your Student Futures Account<\/a>. Internships can still be completely flexibly alongside your degree but are more likely to be an area of work related to your degree field. Read our advice<\/a> on work experience and the opportunities available through Student Futures.<\/p>\n<\/div> <\/div>

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\n Chevron right<\/title>\n <\/path>\n<\/svg> Search for advertised jobs<\/h2>

Google 'part-time jobs Cardiff'\u00a0<\/strong>and see what websites appear - choose ones that you find most useful and check these regularly. Set up alerts so you are notified of new vacancies.<\/p>\n

Popular job websites include TotalJobs<\/a>, Indeed<\/a>, Reed<\/a> and Google Jobs<\/a>. StudentJob<\/a> is a website specifically set up for university students looking for part-time work.<\/p>\n<\/div> <\/div>

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\n Chevron right<\/title>\n <\/path>\n<\/svg> Apply speculatively<\/h2>

Take your CV into small, local businesses and ask if they have any vacancies. Remember first impressions count so be polite and enthusiastic and try to find out who the decision maker is so you can get in front of them. Whilst smaller organisations are likely to be more open to speculative applications, all employers like to see people being proactive and tenacious in their job search so don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and go and sell yourself in person.<\/p>\n<\/div> <\/div>

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\n Chevron right<\/title>\n <\/path>\n<\/svg> Consider using a recruitment agency<\/h2>

Whilst recruitment agencies tend to work with job seekers looking for longer term temporary and permanent positions, some will offer part-time roles that could work around your studies or seasonal roles outside of term time.<\/p>\n

The employer will pay the recruitment agency for their services, meaning there is no cost to you for using them. Whilst it can seem really appealing to have someone looking for work for you for free, you should still be selective with the agencies and the recruitment consultants you partner with. Make sure you are clear with them about your needs and wants from the start and don't ever feel pressured into accepting a job that you don't want. Also, don't sit back and let the agencies do the work for you! They should be used alongside your other job searching strategies.<\/p>\n

You can search for recruitment agencies on the\u00a0Agency Central<\/a>\u00a0website.\u00a0Prospects<\/a>\u00a0also has useful advice you should read if you are considering using a recruitment agency.<\/p>\n<\/div> <\/div><\/div>\n

CV for part-time jobs<\/h4>\n

Your CV for a part-time job should be tailored, concise and have an effective layout. However, it could look quite different to a CV you might use to apply for graduate-level roles<\/a>. Some of the key differences include:<\/p>\n