Uni timetable arrived and it's so spread out I won't be able to work pt - has anyone worked nights as hotel receptionist?

[Bigfatfuckingfailure]

I'm feeling a bit set back by this because I will be in five half days, whereas at the open day it seemed the timetable would be more compressed. I was hoping to work 2 full days in office job.

I'm looking at weekend and night shift part time working now (some of my half days are in afternoons) and night receptionists for a big hotel chain keep advertising.

Has anyone ever worked in this job? I understand the few hours before morning staff come on would be very busy as you're getting things ready to handover, but would it be usual to get a quiet period of a few hours in the dead of the night?

Wondering if I could get reading done for uni in a quiet period. Probably wishful thinking though!

Not what you asked but have you thought about a pub/restaurant? If you wait tables you will also earn cash tips. These were my saviour when I was at uni. I worked in a bog standard national pub chain and could guarantee £20 tips per shift. On a busy Saturday if I worked a double I could make £80 in tips. Just a thought as it would seem to fit your timetable.

It's worth contacting your uni admin team if you haven't already to see if theyll swap some things around. Most seminars will have more than one group running at different times so if you explain your financial need to have more available time to work, they may be able to move it about a bit.

I worked on a hotel reception and did the occasional night shift to cover staff sickness. It was a 47 room so not that big, but you'd have a handful of check ins and early check outs and a few jobs to do like running the end of day financial audit etc, but tbh I spent most of the time trying to stay awake and watching dvds

My sister worked the night shift in a Premier Inn. Weekends would be busy till very late with people coming after weddings/other late nights, but she had hours and hours of doing almost nothing, especially mid week. You could get all your reading done probably.

I worked in hotels for years, if it's a big 'proper' hotel then there'll not be any time to do anything else (they'll want you on the desk ready to look after people)

If it's somewhere like Premier Inn, I'm sure you could read etc but I'd worry about security, you're often the only single member of staff and there are often quite a few weirdos around those places at night, I wouldn't do it...

Check with uni that they have put you on right part of the course - some offer compressed for pt students or people who work then normal timetable for traditional students

You might also look out for jobs offered by the University or the Student Union, they are generally more flexible, you're already on campus, and most (though sadly not all) are committed to a genuine living wage rather than just the NMW.

I would think that getting a waiting job in a hotel would be better. You can then work lates or early a around your studies.

Doing night portering is knackering due to the antisocial hours. Also, if you are a women, how you feel if there was an aggressive male customer? Some hotels will ensure their is always a security trained NP on to deal with things like that but others won’t and you could be left in a vulnerable position.

Yes I have. In a busy cuty centre hotel. You will definitely get lots of time for reading, especially on quiet nights like Sundays.

Busy periods are definitely fridays and Saturdays so I would write off those days, but once tou get into a routine with the usual tasks you will only be answering the phone and dealing with issues and issues tend to be housekeeping etc so you’re just offloading on the correct department.

It is definitely a good option for you.

@ninetysixer

Also, if you are a women, how you feel if there was an aggressive male customer?

This is a bit ridiculous. You can encounter aggression anywhere day or night and you’re actually being weird by suggesting a woman can’t work incase of aggresive males.

@Bigfatfuckingfailure

Sorry, 3rd message! I should say that I did my masters for 2 years whilst doing this so I have very relevant experience in helping.

When I was at uni I worked in restaurants in the kitchens (better money) or waitressing, tips are great. I also got a job working for the uni on their alumni giving fund, essentially calling round former students having a chat, reminiscing with the older ones was especially fun, and then asking if they'd be able to give anything for bursaries etc. It was well paid and I only signed up for shifts I wanted, afternoons, mornings, evenings or Saturdays. Also when it was exam time or you had loads of deadlines you just said I can't work for a couple of weeks I've too much work on and they were absolutely fine. It's worth looking into whether your uni has the same or similar.

@Move2WY

In my experience it’s a very relevant question. So please try and be a little less condescending.

I have worked in many hotels and have frequently had to get night staff to assist with situations with aggressive or intoxicated males when working the late close.

Luckily they were always close enough to come and deal with the situation.

I will give you an example - Night Porter is off doing a fire sweep. Man comes back to hotel and asked for room key. Slightly intoxicated wanting a drink. I advise him that the bar is closed, he becomes agressive and shouty and cuts me off from leaving or accessing the phone.

Night Porter comes around the corner and asks if there is a problem. Man scurries off to bed.

What do you think I could have done if I was the only staff member on site?

If I was taller, bigger or older perhaps I would have had more confidence but as a Slight 22 year old it scared the shit out of me.

I could regale you with more tales of male agression or pervyness but it would be a novel.

Is there a reason you are looking for night shift work rather than evenings/weekends? I wouldn't have coped well with classes if I had been up all night! I second @MaryBoBary - I waitressed at uni and made a fortune in tips - often more than my actual wages. Shifts were evening or weekend and pretty flexible, like getting extra hours when I was off over Christmas. I would definitely recommend it (especially if you can find somewhere that lets you keep your own tips!).

I worked in a call centre while at uni. I did split shifts, taking a 6am start until 10am then coming back at 5pm to work until 10pm. I didn't do it every day, but I worked 40 hours per week still. Then I was always able to pick up extra shifts during holidays.

I graduated with a 2:2 with relative ease. If I didn't have to work, I'm confident I could have got a 2:1. Has it held me back? Not really, although it's hard to know what opportunities I missed out on. I only know what I have accomplished, and pretty ok with how I got here.

I would go to the uni admin for your course and ask if you can swap a couple of seminars or find out when the same seminars are run on different days. It really is no odds to move you if there is more than one class, which there may not be of course.

I know someone who did that during uni. She seemed to enjoy it and oreffered it over working at Starbucks.

5 half days is absolutely crap, there's a lot of students that will seriously struggle with that.
I would seriously struggle with that!

You are supposed to be reading on the days you’re not in university.

I have, it’s staying awake was the biggest issue but I got a lot of reading done! 11-1am could be busy then again for early check out. Oh and you will see naked men. Not aggressive ones, stupid drunk ones who lock them selves out of their rooms trying to find the loo and opening wrong door. One fella got reported naked peeing in a plant pot in the corridor. Happens A LOT! Never has a woman do that, they wear pjs more when in hotels...

I would try and get your timetable switched round a bit.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to apply for the positions I've seen. Bar work or waitressing, I don't know if I've any chance at - years ago I applied to these kinds of jobs before and never got anywhere as I didn't have any experience back then. Apart from a bar where I did a few shifts and they let me go because I looked too miserable, I had quite bad depression back then.

Yes I know I'm supposed to do lots of self directed study, I did mention in my OP that the possibility of being able to read on the quiet part of the night shift was what appeals to me about hotel night work...

I need to find SOMETHING to earn a few pounds, so while it may be nicer to not work that isn't reality for me.

Timetable looks quite locked down. My core modules can't be shifted, and then of the optional modules I have to take certain ones because of not having a STEM background.

I worked 3-4 night shifts a week in a hospital as a carer while training to be a nurse. It’ll be breeze working nights in a hotel compared to that. Go for it

I did for 18 months while DS2 was small. It was exhausting, scary, and I was totally alone from when the bar/restaurant staff left around 11 until 6.30am. At midnight I did the close out of the day, admin etc... From 4 I was busy setting up breakfast, cooking bread and croissants etc. In the meantime I dealt with an array of shitty client behaviour, answered emails and sorted bookings, cleaned the reception area... It wasn't much fun, and I had little time to read or do anything really!
I wouldn't recommend it to anyone! Called the police probably 6 times, was threatened, got drunk people out of the swimming pool at 3am, took prank calls, found a client shitting in a hallway... I could go on, but I won't