Part time jobs at university

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Maybe a silly question but if your DC have part time jobs in their uni towns/ cities, what do they do during the holidays ie Christmas and Easter? Do they take annual leave, or do they have understanding employers who keep the job open for them for a few weeks, or do they just not come home during university holidays?

My DC did it the opposite way and as both worked from 16 whilst still at home, they were lucky enough to have employers that kept their jobs open for them when they moved away to uni, so that they took them up again every Xmas, Easter and summer holidays when they returned, so only actually working in non term time.

DD and her friends tend not to come home except for visits. But they get annual leave so do manage OK.

Mine transferred from her S6 home job to uni city with same company but didn't transfer back for any holidays (even summer). Most stayed in uni city but some returned home which suited DD as she could pick up full time hours during holidays.

I had a holiday job during Easter, Xmas and summer and part time jobs throughout term time. Sometimes places wouldn't keep the job open, sometimes they would, but I'd always find another

It's very difficult for most kids to get jobs as students unless they are somewhere massive like london. The zero hours contract culture means its more hassle than its worth to hire students who disappear off home every ten weeks.

DD's job is online tutoring so she can do it wherever she is.

But a few of her friends work in chains like Greggs or Costa which allow uni students to swap between locations.

Dc1 has two friends at university who work for different branches of the sme company depending whether it's term time or not. One works for Sainsbury's, the other homebargins (not sure how common this is).

Yes, friends of mine’s kids did this too. They worked in Decathlon, Tesco's etc where they were also permitted to transfer to the local branch in term time and back to their ‘home’ branch in the holidays. In both those cases, it meant they left uni with a 4-5 years working history from one employer, which was worth it’s weight in gold when they graduated and were looking for jobs.

DD's experience is that you need to be available to work in your university town across holidays. She's therefore really only been able to work over the summer in her home town as she didn't want to stay in her uni town during holidays.

Online tutoring is a fantastic student job.

Dd got a caring job in year 2 which was very flexible/zero hours and she just did the occasional shift in the summer (we're only an hour away from her uni town and she had a car). She also has a zero hours warehouse job at home which she picks up in the holidays.

However, she's just picked up a Nando's 12 hours a week contract in her uni city (she's on a four year course, so she's got a year left). She said she might be able to transfer to a local branch for the summer, but it's a bit of a risk in case she can't get a transfer back, so I think she'll try to bunch her shifts (which aren't fixed) together so that she does say Fri /Sat one week and Sun/Mon the next. Her current student house is available until the end of July (she hasn't yet signed up for a house for next year, but hopefully that will be available from Aug/Sept). She'll also take some annual leave in August.

Yes, it's brilliant. Can be organised around dd's busy schedule and it pays really well too. Plus she absolutely loves doing it!

Just wonderful! My student nephew enjoyed online tutoring so much that he wants to train as a teacher and have a career in education.

Question to those whose DC have been involved with online tutoring - do they use online agencies (and if so, which ones), or just advertise themselves?

Unfortunately DD's current employer at home won't be able to keep her job open and she can't work there on an ad hoc basis in holidays.

Thanks for all the comments.

DC’s universities don’t encourage part time jobs during term time but DD did online tutoring and was able to fit it in around everything else. (She continued to tutor during the first year of her graduate job too to help pay rent in London).

DS coached in his sport during the summer and earned fairly well from Spring and Summer internships.

Same here as @MrsBennetsPoorNerves, DD online tutors for past 2.5 years with one of the big platforms (MyTutor) with one or 2 private students.
Portable too if year abroad taken, can include international students if time zones work with mutual timetables.
In younger years DD did lifeguard and swim coaching (level 1) which also paid well, with option to work across 2 sites for when home/away at University. Cover was always required in exam season for example, when some LG’s reduced their hours to study.

My DC were at univ in different cities where there were lots of part time student job. If they met any resistance at Christmas they handed their notice in and got another job in January. They stayed at univ at Easter and resigned at the end of term.

@RedSkyDelights once a student is accepted (there is normally an interview/competency part of process, in addition to verifying the CV/exam results etc). The main tutor companies take circa 50% but, they do the marketing, safeguarding, provide the online tools, bookkeeping for HMRC etc, whereas private students can be higher risk, no-shows (unless they pay in advance) and generally more hassle unless you've managed to get a strong set up. DD prefers the former, and the free taster session is a good opportunity to see if there's going to be a match both ways, not just for the prospective student.

Mine started off doing face to face with one local pupil through a connection of mine. She then got more pupils through word of mouth. This led to her being introduced to a woman who runs an online tutoring company. She found this more convenient and it was also better paid, so she gradually switched over to doing online only. She used to do loads of hours but has cut back now because her degree is pretty full on. She does extra intensive sessions in the holidays to earn a bit of extra.

I don't want to say the name of the company that dd works with as it's small and potentially outing. But similar model to what @ealingwestmum said in terms of the company managing marketing, safeguarding, collecting payments from parents etc. Parents pay upfront and dd gets paid for any late cancellations etc.

The only difference is that dd is technically self employed and ended up having to do her first ever tax return recently!

They have a two week trial for each new pupil with no commitment on either side to continue, but dd does still get paid for the trial sessions.

I don't actually know how much the company charges parents. Obviously they take their cut, but I think the rates of pay are pretty generous and definitely don't feel that dd is being exploited in any way.

Mine has a job on campus which is term time only. At Christmas and Easter he hasn't had time to do paid work as those holidays have been flat out on assignment work plus a bit of catching up with friends from home, grandparents etc (his uni has the two semester season with the assessment periods being Jan and May, and 3-4 week holiday/study leave before those, I know some unis have longer). He has been able to go back to his summer holiday work each year at home.

Something term time only would be ideal.

Campus work is great if available and provides enough paid hours that work with the student OP. This can include major roles in societies, being an ambassador, working for research team etc. Obviously subject to the institution and its rules, but a great option to supplement both financially and for CV.

DS1 secured a grad job last year, and at the assessment centre they asked him nothing about his degree but loads about his four years working at JD Sports!