Working as a student

The benefits of part-time work

1. Transferable skills

Part-time jobs can add to the many transferable skills you will gain at university. These include independence, self-sufficiency, time management, communication, teamwork skills and many more.

2. Employability

Any work experience is good experience! A part-time job on your CV will be impressive to graduate employers, even if it isn’t directly related to your chosen field. You can evidence your skills and have a great employer reference under your belt.

3. Socialising

One of the best parts of your time at university is the chance to meet lots of new people, and a part-time job will only increase your social circle!

4. Expand your degree subject knowledge

It’s an added bonus if your job relates to your degree! This can open up even more opportunities for you to network and establish yourself in your chosen industry.

"I'm grateful that during my time at university, I’ve had the opportunity to work in retail and for the university and Students' Union in several part-time roles. There are loads of roles available around Birmingham and the university for students who need to earn while they’re studying. It’s also important to think about how you can gain great experience that will support you in the future and when you’re applying for jobs."

Philip McCahill, BCU student

Working for the University – student jobs on campus

We have lots of student roles available on campus that allow you to earn some extra income whilst prioritising your studies and working hours that suit you.

Types of student roles:

• Student Ambassador - working open days, and events and providing campus tours or talking to visitors.
• Student Content Creator - creating engaging content for BCU's social media channels.
• Photographer - capturing events, student life and Birmingham for the University.
• Widening Participation Ambassador - facilitating activities, mentoring and tutoring with schools in the local area.
• Mentor - mentoring young people to help them progress to university.
• Admin Assistant - assisting teams across the university such as Admissions and Accommodation teams.
• Students' Union staff - working in one of BCU's campus shops or catering outlets.

Plus many other roles across the University!

The key benefits of working for BCU are:

• You develop employability skills and learn how to articulate them to future employers
• You get to work on campus
• You work hours that fit around your studies
• You gain experience of recruitment and selection processes and receive feedback at every stage of the process to help you improve in areas you may need additional support (e.g. CV writing, interview techniques and so on)
• You can make connections and meet other students across the university

How to find a job on campus

Once you're a BCU student, you'll be able to register with Manpower where jobs are advertised, you can also look out for roles in your student emails and on iCity. Birmingham City University Students' Union also regularly employs students.

Working in Birmingham or surrounding areas

With so many shops and the Bullring shopping centre drawing in more than 40 million customers a year, retail work is always flying around the Birmingham job market. Plus, Birmingham is a hub for events, nightlife and culture meaning you might be able to secure roles in one of the many restaurants, bars or venues in the city.  

The key benefits of working in Birmingham are:

• You may be able to pick up more hours working in shops, restaurants and bars and increase your hours during holidays and the summertime
• You can meet people from outside of BCU
• You'll get to know Birmingham and it's people
• You will develop employability skills and learn how to articulate them to future employers
• You'll still be close to campus so you can get to work easily and spend little to no money on public transport

How to find a job in Birmingham:

You can see student jobs available right now in Birmingham on Save the Student and Indeed.

If you have a specific business you think you'd like to work for, take a look on their website. Some places you can look include:

• The Bullring and The Mailbox for hospitality and retail roles a short walk from campus
• The NEC Group to work in one of Birmingham's event venues
• Supermarket websites, there are lots of express stores close to campus or bigger supermarkets you can reach using public transport
• Bars or restaurants in Digbeth, the Jewellery Quarter and Broad Street as they're some of Birmingham's most bustling areas.

What BCU can do to help

Each faculty at BCU has its own personalised Careers+ service, which can help you to create your CV, work on your employability and find part-time work and work experience placements. You can continue to access their support for at least three years after graduation!

Graduate+ is an extra and co-curricular awards scheme offered to all students at BCU, designed to help you stand out from the crowd and prepare you for your future. You will get to attend training events, network with others, work on projects and most importantly have fun, all while developing your skillset personally and professionally!