This week, Julie Noble, one of our Employability and Placement Advisers offers advice to anyone looking for a job alongside their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s a tough time in the jobs market – Coronavirus has had a huge impact on the type and number of student jobs available and many employers have frozen recruitment, but there are still jobs out there…
Our vacancy portal My Career and Employability Centre continues to advertise part time vacancies in various industries and we have a great section on our website about finding a part time job. We also publish a list of local part-time jobs every Thursday on our Facebook page.
A screenshot of the My Career and Employability Centre Jobs board
What other ways can I search for jobs?
- Use your networks – speak to friends and family, do they know of anyone recruiting?
- Follow Companies on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to be the first to know of any vacancies.
- Many companies list jobs on their own website or on recruitment sites.
- You can also sign up with a general or specialist recruitment agency.
- If you want to work for a particular company, check if they hire directly or through a recruiter.
Ideas to boost your finances
Retailers providing essential goods: Although non-essential shops are currently closed, supermarkets Morrisons, Aldi, Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys are still hiring to help provide food for the nation during the Covid crisis.
Delivery jobs: Have a bike, motorbike or car? Companies including Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats and Amazon are recruiting to handle the boom in online deliveries.
Website testing: Make money online by testing websites. All you need is your laptop and access to the internet:
Paid surveys: Save the Student have put together some really useful information on the best paid online survey sites.
Online tutoring: If you enjoy working with young people, tutoring can be a good way to earn money:
NHS jobs: The NHS are recruiting for a variety of roles to help with the pandemic, and have a dedicated page for vaccine team opportunities.
Typing and transcription: Transcription jobs involve listening to a piece of audio and converting it into a written report.
Takenote is a well established transcribing service and you can apply to be a home-based transcriber via their website.
Dog-walking: If you like dogs you could consider dog walking to earn a bit of extra cash. www.tailster.com specialise in dog walkers and pet sitting.
Seasonal farm workers: Many farms in the UK need fruit and veg pickers in the Spring and Summer. The Gov.uk website provides useful advice on becoming a seasonal farm worker.
IMPORTANT! Things to consider when working freelance
Freelancers usually get paid by the hour or with a fixed fee for each project and you may get paid below the National Minimum Wage. You will also have to keep up with Tax and National Insurance. Find more information on working freelance on the Save the Student website.
More help from Careers
Even in the lockdown, we’re available to chat about part-time jobs, applications, interviews and more, so please feel free to book an appointment with us.