Your Guide to Holiday Jobs for Students

Student life isn't cheap. The expense of tuition, accommodation, and necessities combined with the costs of socialising mean that your bank account can quickly become depleted. Particularly as the cost of living rises, your maintenance loan might not be enough to support your lifestyle. If you don't want to get a part-time job during term-time, holiday jobs for students are a great way to earn extra money to support you while you study. Plus, you'll gain valuable experience and transferable skills that you can carry with you as you move forward in your career.

Many businesses have consistent arrangements with students that allow them to work during the holidays. Establishing a good relationship with an employer will mean that you don't have to look for a new job on every break. It can be reassuring to know you have a regular stream of income each time you return home.

How to find holiday jobs for students

There are lots of holiday jobs for students out there, you just need to know where to look and how to make yourself an attractive candidate. Start by creating or updating your CV. Include your contact details, any work experience you have (be it volunteer or paid), your educational background, and relevant skills. Try and keep everything on one page. If you need help structuring, take a look at example templates online or ask your university careers team for advice.

So, how can you find holiday jobs for students?

Look online

It might seem obvious but searching online is a great way to start your job hunt. Job boards like Indeed and Totaljobs will post seasonal availabilities and part-time jobs that you could apply for in your university holidays. These sites are updated daily and allow you to filter based on your location, availability and job preferences. You can also use job boards to start searching for a job before your university break.

Use social media

Social media is now about much more than posting memes, it's a valuable way to build connections and find new opportunities. If you haven't already set up a LinkedIn account, now is a great time to do so. You can then use the search feature to start hunting for holiday jobs for students. You can even set up alerts to notify you about relevant jobs. Social media is also a good way to start building your professional network which will set you up for success in the future.

Ask around

Proactivity is key when it comes to job hunting. Use your connections wisely: ask friends and family if they know of any opportunities or openings. You could even go down the highstreet and hand in your CV at local businesses. Many businesses will post availabilities in shop windows that they don't advertise online. Going in person helps put a face to a name and shows that you're a friendly, personable, and confident individual. All key traits in retail and hospitality!

Which holiday jobs for students should you consider?

There are so many different types of holiday jobs for students that you could apply for. To narrow it down, think about your skills and the kind of environments you enjoy working in.

Retail

Retail jobs are popular amongst students as employers are typically happy to accept entry-level applicants and train them as they go. Retail jobs will help you develop key skills such as communication, problem-solving, time management - and probably patience too! Plus, they offer fairly flexible hours and allow you to retain a good work-life balance. If you're looking to pad out your CV, retail jobs are a good place to start.

Hospitality

If you're a people person who enjoys talking, working in hospitality might be a great option for you. There's lots of diversity in this industry; you could work as a waiter, barista or bartender, depending on your preferences and schedule. Serving customers can be challenging, but there's rarely a dull moment in hospitality so your shifts will fly by. And you can even make some extra money through tips.

Tutoring

If you're looking for a holiday job related to your degree, tutoring is perfect. Why not share the knowledge you've learnt throughout your academic career with younger students? You'll typically work one-on-one with students to help them with particular academic subjects or topics they are struggling with. You can often set your own rates too, which is an added benefit.

Babysitting

Keen to set your own hours and work when you want to? Then you should definitely consider babysitting. The job is typically cash-in-hand so you won't have to wait until the end of the week or month for a paycheck. Plus, you get to relive all your favourite childhood games and shows while looking after children. You could ask families you know if they need any support with childcare, or there are dedicated job boards for babysitting work which you can filter to your local area.

Or, if babysitting just feels like too much responsibility right now, why not start with pet sitting?

Work experience

While they might not pay much in the short term, volunteer work, work experience placements, and internships help you to build your experience in relevant fields. With some extra padding on your CV, it'll be easier to get a paid job in the future. Ask your university careers team for advice when applying for these sorts of positions.

Of course, not everyone can afford to take an unpaid job over the holidays. Just remember, even if a job isn't directly related to the field you ultimately want to enter, the skills you gain while working are still invaluable.

How to save for the next academic year

Holiday jobs for students are a great way to save money for the next term. But, to make the most of your hard work, you need to make sure you're not spending all your earnings straight away. But that's not to say you can't have any fun in your break. To help with budgeting, set up a student savings account and deposit a percentage of each of your paychecks into it as soon as it arrives. At the end of your holiday, you'll be surprised at how much you've amassed.

It can be difficult to manage your finances as a student. If you're struggling with your budget and worrying about costs, check out our article on managing student debt.