10 jobs for full time University students

One of our most recent blog post was about working at Uni. My advice was to find a good Uni/work balance, but to always try to look for a job while studying. There are several reasons, but the most important is money management. When money is yours, the perception of things changes drastically. I still remember signing up for Money Dashboard the day I received my first salary.

What I didn’t have the chance to talk about were the different options, so I’ll try to list a few to give you some tips or suggestions.

#1 – Freelancing

This is my first and top choice, but it’s what I did during my fourth year at University. In my case, as a Computer Scientist, I was building apps for people all over the world (San Francisco, Hong Kong, Paris, London and Manchester). It was pretty interesting to pickup calls in the morning for Hong Kong and in the afternoon for San Francisco, while being a student at the University of Manchester. I was working on a super new and highly hyped technology, so the demand was really high.

However, you don’t have to be an engineer to freelance. My girlfriend, back at Uni, was doing translations from Dutch to English, and the payout was amazing. You could even freelance in social media management or by writing blogs. The possibilities are endless and there are some great sites like UpWork and PeoplePerHour.

Freelancing is my top option because it makes you independent and you need to learn a few different things, apart the job you have to do (sales, marketing, negotiations).

#2 – University

University is the first thing you should look for, just to know if there are any opportunities. You could work at the library, student union’s bar or even for your own department. I used to blog “professionally” for my department. The payout wasn’t amazing, but it was still a small paid job.

#3 – Promoter

This might involve a lot of partying, but at least, you will be able to master your social dynamics skills. While I was at Uni, it was full of promoters and clubs are always accepting new ones. It doesn’t give you anything in return, in terms of work oriented skills, but it will teach you people. The key to be successful in this world is to be able to relate with others and that’s why this could be a good option. Make sure to read Robert Cialdini first, he wrote a really interesting book about Influence.

#4 – Tutoring

This option is really popular from where I am from, Italy. I know a lot of my friends, who during their University time were tutoring high school students. There are a lot of possibilities for this, but usually try to stick to what you are studying, you will be able to charge more. For example, if you do Math, teach Math and ask for more money. I would consider tutoring as a form of freelancing, you learn pretty much the same skills and you are physically in touch with other human beings, which is a plus.

#5 – Retail

Working in a store might be another great option. The hours are flexible and they are always looking for part time students, which means you can fit this job pretty much at anytime. I would look for a store I love, so I can also get discounts from working there and lower my expenses. 😉 I think the best way to get a job like this is to walk in and ask, but you can still look online. If they need someone, they will advertise it.

#6 – Starbucks

A few of my friends at Uni were working at Starbucks. This really depends on the location and how much time you can spend there. They definitely hire part time students and you can get shifts of 15 hrs per week. If you can do night shifts, they will pay you more, even as a student. If I do remember right, this friend was making £14 per hour, just by working at night.

I wrote Starbucks, but this could be Caffe Nero, Costa or any other coffe shop of this kind.

#7 – Student Brand Ambassador

This might be a tough one to find, but if you are able to be first, get selected and then become a brand ambassador, you will be in heaven. A friend of my co-founder, who’s using Emma, used to be the Microsoft brand ambassador on campus. This meant good skills on his CV and free stuff. I think he got laptops, tablets and even phones. It’s great to establish a relationship with a company during University, because they might also consider you after you finish.

Companies are always looking for brand ambassadors to establish their presence and recruit.

#8 – Fundraising

Fundraising jobs can be well paid and they definitely give you a great opportunity to explore social dynamics and learn how to sell; after all, you are convincing people to give you money for a good cause. I would do this for free, simply because I consider it as volunteering, but if you have the possibility to get a job like this, give it a try.

#9 – Childminding

This is an old practice. There are lots of working parents that are looking for students to take care of their children. If you are an international or have just moved to Uni from a different city, this might be difficult to find; but if you dig, you will definitely find something online. An alternative is to connect with locals or your friends from Uni to see if they know someone who needs you.

#10 – Resident Assistant

This might be unusual and I think you weren’t even considering this option. When I was in halls, during my first year, there were some second or third year students that were still in halls working as resident assistants. You won’t get paid for this, but you will get to live in halls free of charge, which is pretty cool.

Your role will be to act as the middle man between students and student housing companies. A RA is the person in charge of the building, so whenever a student has a problem, such as an electrical fault, you will be the first person contacted.