Are you thinking about getting a part-time job to help pay for living costs at university, or wondering what it’s like to have a job while studying? Business Management student Caitlin shares her real-life experience of what it’s like to balance a part-time job with university work and assignments.
What’s your part-time job and how many hours a week do you work?
I currently work part-time at The Body Shop in Bullring Birmingham as a Customer Consultant, working 12 hours a week.
How easy or difficult was it to find a part-time job?
Finding a part-time job was relatively easy. There are many part-time retail jobs available in the city centre which you can find by searching on job sites like Indeed and LinkedIn, or going direct to the Bullring or other companies websites.
To apply for this role, all I needed to do was submit a CV and Cover Letter showcasing my interest in the role, skills, qualifications, and previous experience. I knew I could get support with my CV and Cover Letter from the Careers+ team at BCU if I needed it to help me secure the role.
Why did you choose this job in particular?
I decided to work at The Body Shop as the role was based in the Bullring, which is in the city centre. I was familiar with the area, and it was easy to commute to work from where I live in Selly Oak.
Being on a 12-hour contract meant that I could work around my university lectures and seminars. The shifts I was offered were only four hours a day, which was convenient as I could still socialise with friends and focus on my university work during the rest of the day.
I chose this role as I enjoy talking to new people and have an interest in beauty products. It gives me the opportunity to build on my networking, customer service and sales skills which relate to my Business Management degree. It’s also building on my professional work experience whilst at university.
How do you balance your part-time job and university work?
Balancing my part-time job and university has been fairly easy. Working short shifts on the days when I don’t have classes or lectures means I can plan my assignments and studies around work. I like to keep a calendar to work out which days I have free to work on my assignments and note my shifts so I can plan ahead.
Most of my work colleagues are also part-time students at university, so this meant my managers were very understanding when it came to assignment deadlines and my dissertation. They allowed me to change my shifts or work fewer hours when I needed to, to help me with finishing my studies.
Have there been any challenges and how did you overcome them?
I experienced some challenges with balancing my job and university work in my final year. When it came to assignment season and submitting my dissertation alongside two other modules, it became stressful and overwhelming.
To overcome this, I had an open conversation with my manager about the workload I had and changing my shifts or reducing my work hours to make my assignments more manageable. After assignment season, I was able to work more hours over the summer as I’d finished the academic year.
What are the benefits of having a part-time job?
Many of my work colleagues are also university students studying different courses from Business to Primary Education and Healthcare. Being surrounded by other students made it easier to make new friends, and we could share similar experiences when it came to studying and managing assignments.
Working part-time in retail has hugely helped me to build on my communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills. I’ve also built on my confidence to speak to new people. These skills will be useful when looking at any graduate role.
What advice would you give to new students who are thinking about a part-time job at university?
The advice that I would give to new students looking for a part-time job at university is to find a role that will interest them. For example, if you enjoy talking to new people and are interested in sales, a retail role may be for you. Or if you enjoy food or cooking, you may like a role in hospitality.
Having a part-time job allows you to build work experience in your free time whilst at university and it’s a great opportunity for you to build on key work skills such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving – all skills which will be useful in your future career.
Finally, make sure that the job role is manageable – ensure that the hours work around your studies and are not too overwhelming! There are plenty of part-time roles available within Birmingham City University Students’ Union such as a School Rep, Student Ambassador, Student Content Creators or even working in the Campus Shop or Eagle & Ball [the Students’ Union pub].
If you’re looking for more information about working while you’re at university, or tips on managing your money, visit our finance and budgeting hub. It’s got practical guidance and some useful tools for working out your money situation.
