Is it possible to work part-time whilst at university?

For some students, working whilst studying is not on their radar 🙅🏽, and for other students it is a necessity 🙋🏽.

I am fortunate to have worked part-time for the last two years out of choice, in order to gain experience in the field that I am most interested in. The public sector.

However, before I discuss whether it is possible to balance working and university, lets back-track to my working history.

The year of 2019 🕔:

So, before university, I had never had a part time job (though I looked, believe me!). This was mainly because I was constantly rejected from every job that I applied to😪. You name it: Primark (rejected), Cafes (rejected), Social media promotion (rejected).

Not to sound “Linked-in-y”, but I can now look back and appreciate these rejections because over the years I have realised that:

• I was not mentally or physically ready to work part time👎🏽
• I was not passionate about working at ANY of these jobs (Primark, if your reading this, I’m sorry but its the truth!)❌.

Why do any of these points matter? Well:

• I used to get stressed very easily, so having too many responsibility during this time, would’ve been incredibly overwhelming.
• Interviewers can tell whether or not you are passionate for the job, and no interviewer is looking to hire anyone who does not want to genuinely work there.

So if this is you, and you’re not passionate about the jobs you’re applying to, or your not sure whether you can commit to the time requirements of a job – maybe take some time to think about what your ideal job would be. What sector would it be? What would be the hourly requirements? Of course, not even job will meet these desires, but it does help to know what you’re looking for🧐.

The year of 2020 🕔:

When I first arrived at university, everything was overwhelmingly new. My poor navigation abilities needed several months to remember where everything was located on campus, and my unreliable memory was still getting used to my academic timetable several months in📅. So, to add a new job on top of this would not have been ideal for me. However, this did not stop me from gaining experience through voluntary work. During this year I:

• Was the Vice President of the Warwick Inspire society🏅
• Fundraised for my trip to teach in Africa (but this got cancelled of course, thanks to the pandemic!)🌍
• Was a mentor to a Year 8 pupil👦🏽

Whilst paid work experience is appreciated, I will always be grateful for the skills that I gained from volunteering.

Perhaps you’re not ready for a large time commitment but you still would like to gain experience. Have you considered volunteering? Maybe you can volunteer in an area that interests you and this can prepare you for when you’re actually ready to apply for a part-time job.

The year of 2021 🕔:

Moving into my second-year, I wanted to gain paid experience since I felt comfortable enough to balance a part-time role alongside my academics💰. I came across a flexible, paid role on campus called The Campus Brand Manager role at Frontline social work.

Frontline is a social work charity whose mission is to create social change for children who do not have a safe or stable home. They do this through training graduates to become qualified social workers. But aside from this they also offered student opportunities for undergraduates, such as internships, insight days and The Campus Brand Manager role✅.

My role as a CBM required me to spread awareness of Frontline opportunities on campus, so that students who aspire to create positive social change could get involved in their opportunities. Some of the ways that I have done this is:

• Create social media posts🤳🏽
• Host informative webinars/workshops👩🏽‍💻
• Held informative stalls on campusℹ️

If you are interested in applying for this role, you can check out Frontline here. It is a great opportunity for those interested in creating social change!

The year of 2022 🕔:

I have been working with Frontline for two years, and though the hourly commitment is smaller than a typical part-time role, I can conclude (based on my experience) that yes, it is possible to work part time, whilst at university. These are the reasons how you can too:

1. Time management⏳

Create a schedule that allows you to visually see your academic commitments and your job commitments.

2. Set boundaries⛔️

This may not apply to all part-time roles. But if your job is flexible it is important to set boundaries so that you do not overwork yourself, and so that you do not create commitments that you cannot follow through with.

3. Think ahead/prepare in advance💭

Whilst this can be difficult, preparing in advance can be helpful. For example, if you have readings due, but you also have to work part-time, try and do the readings ahead of time so that you don’t fall behind academically.

4. Demonstrate integrity👍🏽

Following through with what you have committed to is a way of showing integrity. So whether that be attending a academic meeting that you scheduled, or showing up to a work event – it is important that you manage your commitments so that you’re not viewed as unreliable.

I hope this post has reassured you that even if you did not work prior university, that is perfectly fine. Also, if you are not ready to work because of personal reasons, that is ok too – perhaps you could try volunteering, which is incredibly worthwhile. And finally, with the tips above, it is possible to work part-time, so if this is something that you would like to do – go for it!