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Sandip Samra

February 10th, 2016

Finding part-time work

4 comments | 2 shares

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Sandip Samra

February 10th, 2016

Finding part-time work

4 comments | 2 shares

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Are you looking for part-time work? If so, we can help! Looking for part-time work is different to looking for an internship or a graduate job and the things you need to consider when setting out on the search are too!

First things first – make sure you’ve thought about the time involved! We wouldn’t recommend working more than 15 hours per week so that you leave plenty of time for your degree and for your other commitments. Make sure, if applicable, that you check any conditions on your visa too. Part-time work should never cause stress or take priority over your studies. If you’ve got the time and want to get started there can be many benefits – earning money, gaining transferable skills, meeting new people, experience of managing your time, and gaining an employment reference are among the positives.

So what can you do? There are many opportunities. Lots of students take on work in hospitality, retail, administration, tutoring, customer services or call centres, marketing and PR to mention some of them! Try different approaches when applying to maximise your chances of success.

Where to look for opportunities

You can apply for work online, try recruitment agencies or shop windows, and you can also speculatively apply to organisations you’d like to work for.

Online

On campus

Recruitment consultancies

Tutoring

Your application

Think about your application too. Most employers won’t need a lot of detail on your degree so don’t worry about listing modules or results (unless they are relevant to the position). They’ll be more interested to see any experience you have and if you have experience it could be worth putting this first. One page should be enough too and keep any covering letters/emails short highlighting your experience/transferable skills. If you’ve been asked about your availability then remember to include these details too.

Pay, rules and regulations

As a final point – do refer to the rules and regulations around part-time work to ensure you’re being treated fairly. There are some details below but check the information on part-time work on the UK government website for the most up to date details!

National Minimum Wage (from 1 October)

  • Adult rate (21+) – £6.70 per hour
  • 18-20 year old rate – £5.30 per hour

London Living Wage

  • £9.15/hour

National Insurance

You need to apply by phone for a NI number. Telephone: 0345 600 0643

Income Tax

You should pay if you earn more than £204 a week or £883 a month – this is your Personal Allowance. Deducted through wages (PAYE).

 

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About the author

Sandip Samra

I am the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for LSE Careers

Posted In: LSE Careers

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