Where to find work and how to balance it with your studies
Finding jobs in a huge new city can prove to be a difficult task. So, to make things a little easier, current student Holly provides a list of resources to get you started. She also gives her top tips in balancing a job with your studies.
Worried about your money? Understanding your money, how to budget, how to make more of your money and knowing what to do if things are going wrong are essential skills for life. Here are links and guides to help keep your finances on track.
Where to look for jobs:
My Tutor
My Tutor is an online tutoring agency where you can get hired to tutor students online from your home, starting at £20 an hour. It is a great flexible job that allows you to work from the comfort of your own home, at your own pace and on your own schedule. You could tutor people for many different subjects and at many levels, ranging from 11 plus to university level. This is a great way to earn a bit of extra cash and, additionally, it would look great on your CV.
CV Library, Target Jobs, or Indeed
These are three of the most popular job websites! You can search jobs depending on your location or interests. You can also upload your CV to Indeed, making it super easy to apply to jobs with the click of a finger!
Take a wander around town!
This might sound super old fashioned, but why not get to know the city and have a wander! There are hundreds of shops or bars in Leeds. You may notice that quite a few places advertise part-time or temporary jobs (mostly around Christmas time) on their shop windows. Either take your CV along and pop it into the shop or ask them if you can apply online. I have seen shops such as Lush, Cafe Nero or H&M hiring through posters on their shop windows! Get out there and have a look around! If you’re looking for a job in the hospitality industry,make sure to join the Leeds Bar Grafters group on Facebook.
JobLink is the Leeds student union platform which connects students with jobs. You can do a job search or an employer search on their website or browse jobs that they post regularly! Alternatively, you can visit the Leeds University Union and pop into their office on the lower ground floor, where the helpful customer services assistants can help you with your queries, whether that be CV struggles or where to start looking for a job.
If you check out their website, you might see that they post University jobs on there, such as Student Ambassador jobs. Jobs like this are paid well and on an ad hoc basis, meaning they are very flexible in terms of fitting it around your studies.
They also advertise other jobs on an ad hoc basis, like catering work or bar work, where you can choose your own shifts and how often you work. This would be ideal alongside your degree!
The University Careers Service has drop in times and appointment slots where they can assist you in creating a CV or writing cover letters to apply for part-time jobs. It is worth getting in touch to give you that little bit of extra help! The Careers Service also has a mailing list that you can sign up for, which will send you weekly emails with new jobs in and around Leeds. It can be especially helpful if you’re looking for work placement!
How to balance a job alongside your studies
Set boundaries
Balancing a part-time job alongside your studies can prove to be difficult. It is important that you set boundaries and put yourself first. For example, set yourself a limit of hours you think you can manage. From personal experience, I would say definitely no more than 16 hours a week and 10–12 hours would probably be realistic. This would allow for you time to still socialise with your friends and do the required work for your studies. You can read more about my experience studying and working part-time.
Work around your commitments
It is also important to take other things into account like the times of your classes. Make sure you are working around your studies, for example in the evenings or weekends. If you like to go home at the weekends, working in the evenings may suit your life better.
Stay organised
I’d recommend getting a physical or online calendar to manage your time. Google calendar is my best friend at university! Input all your shifts and schedule time for when you would like to complete specific tasks. This simple method could benefit you massively, ensuring that you get all of your University work done around other commitments, like a part-time job.
University comes first!
Obviously, all these boundaries may not be easy to set. A job is a job… and they can be difficult to find. So you may settle into a job that doesn’t allow you to be as flexible. Nevertheless, make sure you communicate with your managers, raise your worries and be honest. Don’t overwork and make sure to prioritise yourself. At the end of the day, it is a part-time job. You came to university to do a degree, so put that first.
