Part-time Job Opportunities in PAIS
As many of you may be aware, my home department is the Politics and International Studies department here at Warwick and while it does feel like just yesterday when I first attended the introductory sessions hosted by the department, the reality is that I have studied my course for nearly three years now. However, I have not spent my entire time at Warwick studying. Instead, like many others of your bloggers, I have been working part-time for the PAIS department in a number of roles and thought it would be beneficial to outline these roles for those of you interested in working part-time alongside your university degree. Specifically, I have taken on 3 roles during my time at the department: the first is that of a Student Blogger, the second is that as a PAIS Student Ambassador, and the third is that as a Research Assistant. This blog will accordingly outline these 3 roles, how I applied and accepted the roles, and what I have learned from them. But before this, I will briefly explore the benefits of working part-time alongside your University degree.
Once you graduate from university, you may wish to look for a job and a strong CV is critical for this. Working part-time can help show your employers that you are organized, responsible, and equipped to balance your duties. Specifically, I found that applying for internships has been much easier when I have a lot of experience to talk about and I find myself often talking about the roles I have completed in the PAIS department. Getting a part-time job, especially one in a field that is of your interest, can not only allow you to gain some pocket money, but it can also push you to take on more responsibilities and prepare you for an intense working environment. Furthermore, it can also provide you with a welcomed distraction from your degree. Personally, this was one reason that drove me to pursue a part-time job; I liked how the job required me to research or be familiar with information and content that was not directly related to my degree which therefore enabled me to gain external skills.
The first job I will talk about is that of a Student Blogger. I have worked as a Student Blogger since my first week at Warwick and I love the freedom that the role gives you to write about anything you desire. I write blogs I wish I had available to me when I was in my first year or content that I know would be helpful to my friends and classmates. Most of my blogs are tailored to PAIS students and focus on modules or requirements for a PAIS degree, but I also enjoy exploring ways to enhance student support and well-being. The application process itself for this role was very straightforward. I remember seeing an email that invited us to apply for the role and I was required to outline my desire to apply as well as send in my CV and an example of a piece of writing I had completed before university. A few weeks later, they contacted me to let me know I had the position and since then I have been providing blogs for you every month.
The second job I will explore is that of a PAIS Student Ambassador. I would say that the number of PAIS Student Ambassadors is much larger than those of PAIS bloggers and this is simply because there are so many opportunities for you to help out in the Warwick PAIS department. As a Student Ambassador, you are required to help out the department in Open Days, Campus Tours, Q and A sessions, and any other opportunities to promote the PAIS department. I find in this role, I work more with prospective students and the marketing side to help promote the department to those considering joining Warwick. The application process here was also fairly simple, consisting of a CV, Cover Letter, and Interview. What I love most about this role is definitely its flexibility. We will be emailed hours and jobs we can do and get to choose if we are available for those hours or not.
Finally, I will talk about the role of a Research Assistant. I have previously written a blog about this role which can be found on the OurWarwick page under my name which specifically explores the role. Essentially, this role requires me to research a specific topic which in my case was Preventing Violent Extremism. The department will pair you up with a supervisor who will look through your produced research and give you comments weekly. I really enjoyed doing this research as it gave me a welcome distraction from my degree. I would say the application process is certainly more competitive for this role which is why it is only available for third years.
I hope this blog has been a useful read to you all and if you have any questions and comments please do not hesitate to reach out.
