For many students, the first year at university is a time to get to experience student life at its best. With student unions, extra circular events, clubs and not to mention studying to catch up on, many new students will view their time at university as a more relaxed and fun period of their lives.
However, while there should be a fun element to Uni life, it should also be a time whereby students look towards their intended career and set some goals to make the transition of study life to work-life smoother in the process. One way to do this is to find employment, whether paid or voluntary.
Take Advantage of the Long University Break
No one can deny that universities have some of the most extended breaks in the industry! This includes that famous long summer holiday which bats both the UK and American school holidays out of the park!
As young kids, we all took advantage of such weeks to sit around doing nothing, hang out with friends and then lament how bored we were. Yet, at Uni we are no longer kids awaiting the next term or semesters and the increased length of the university summer holidays gives the ideal opportunity for students to find work.
Many employment agencies favor people who can do temporary 12-week contracts, and the big summer holiday at Uni certainly falls within this time frame. According to Mark Sattin, nowhere is this more obvious than in the finance and banking recruitment sector.
This is perhaps one of the best opportunities you will come across as a student, and ultimately may be a great way of gathering some leads and contacts for when you finally leave university.
Look for Opportunities Where You Can
That’s not to say that you can’t look at entering the workplace as you study during term time. There are ample opportunities everywhere you look as a student to pick up a role during the term time.
Whether this is a job you see yourself doing in the future or not, by making an effort to get out there into the job market and begin taking on responsibilities, you give yourself the bonus of entering the workplace easily once you have your degree, with prior experience under your belt.
This tells potential employers that you have the drive, determination, and enthusiasm of a self-starter and shows them that you made the most of your Uni days in the process.
Many university campuses have a selection of roles for current students and will actively encourage everyone on site to advertise, preferring to hire from within. Look at the coffee shops, food stores, libraries and even the offices and ask around to see who is or most likely to hire over the terms.
Alternatively, consider approaching a department and asking about volunteering your services. At this stage, it doesn’t have to all be about earning money, but instead getting an idea of what life is like after you say goodbye to uni.
