Ten great reasons why students should consider work experience

by Anna Burevschi

Many of you may be doubting whether working part-time is something you should consider as a student. The triangle of managing work, studies and a social life may seem totally overwhelming, so many students will choose only one or two of the three options available. But in my experience, if you are careful with how you manage your time, you really can make it work and reap some excellent benefits.

I have been working part-time throughout my three-year degree and would like to share my experiences with you and outline some powerful reasons that work experience will bring to your personal and professional development.

1)   YOU EARN MONEY

Starting with the obvious, being able to earn money that you can spend on whatever you want, is the first and biggest benefit of working. Whether you choose to spend this money on clothing, a night out, or even a weekend trip with your friends! You can do whatever you want as you have earned this money yourself! Students can work a maximum of 20 hours per week, and the London National Minimum Wage entitles you to at least ￡6.45/h (18-20 y.o.), ￡8.20/h ( 21-24 y.o.) or ￡.8.72 (25 y.o. and over). So, the least you can earn for 20h/week is ￡129. Not bad right? Oh yes, another great benefit of working is learning to manage your finances!

2)   YOU LEARN TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

A common assumption out there is that there is little to no use of working in a job that you aren’t planning to build a career on, hence many students, including myself, are very reluctant about mentioning the jobs they are doing in their CV or discuss them with a potential employer, thinking that there is nothing they’ve learnt.

However, I am sure that many of you have already heard the term of ‘transferable skills’ - these are the skills that you learn in any job and can transfer and reuse them once you switch jobs or careers. Forbes has made a list of the “Top 7 skills that employers look for during and after a pandemic”.

However, I would like to focus on some other skills I also found to be relevant. These skills you can learn in doing any work experience or part-time job, be it a social media influencer, waiter, babysitter, retail assistant or administrator of a family business.

3)   YOU BUILD PERSONAL CONFIDENCE

Work experience can give you the confidence in yourself and our own abilities. A job is very likely to drive you out of your comfort zone and put you in situations that you don’t feel comfortable in. The ability to handle things and having the confidence to ask questions and learn is invaluable and definitely transferable.

4)   YOU GET BETTER AT TIME MANAGEMENT AND PRIORITISATION

Being able to handle a job, university classes, assignments, attending society meetings and still maintain a great social life is something you have to learn as a student. Interesting fact, the busiest people tend to be the most productive and the best at managing their time, this is because they have learned how to effectively manage their time and allotted tasks. Don’t you find yourself deferring things more when you have a few days until a deadline rather than having to submit a piece of work in a few hours? University years are busy and working might be the exact thing you are looking for to master your time management skills.

5)   YOUR TEAMWORK IMPROVES

Being able to work in a team is by far the most important skill I can think of. Not one person on this earth should work in silo when he/ she can master his/ her job better by working together with someone else! Having a part-time job be it in a pub or retail shop you will be working alongside a whole range of different characters. This will teach you how to avoid conflicts and learn to work efficiently as a team – another useful skill you can take with you in your career!

6)   YOU GET TO KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES BETTER

We tend to be very vocal about things that we like doing and things that we dislike, however, some people find it very difficult talking about their strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps, our ideas of things that we like, and dislike aren’t based on actual experiences, and sometimes you never know how you feel about a certain task until you try doing it! So, a part-time job can help you identify your strong points and things you should work on. For instance, you might be very good at planning and organising be it events or schedules, but not as good at creating communications. It is absolutely fine that you might not be the best at everything, but understanding your strengths and weaknesses will help you navigate your career in the future so you portray yourself in the best way possible to a recruiter, and guide you on the areas you may need to improve with training or coaching.

7)   YOU BUILD YOUR PERSONAL NETWORK

Have you heard about ‘The Six Degrees of Separation’ concept? If not, check it out. Basically, what it means is that you might be just 6 steps (people connections) away from your next boss! Just like that, by having a part-time job you increase your personal network and potential of meeting possible career/ job contacts. Sounds easy, right? What if I tell you that 85% of jobs are being filled through networking? People are much more likely to build a professional relationship with someone they meet, rather than through a rigorous application process. So, here is another great reason for having part-time job and get a step closer to your dream career!

8)   TEMET NOSCE – KNOW THYSELF.

So, you can see the benefits these seven reasons bring, and by knowing more about yourself, you will be able to create more engaging job applications, interview better and stand out from the crowd.

Imagine competing for a job place with another 100 candidates? Your chances are as little as 1%, sounds impossible. However, now think that only 10 of these applicants have done something extracurricular, be it sports, work experience or volunteering. Your chances are automatically increased to 10%. Statistically, employers find those students who have completed extra-curricular activities and/ or work-experiences to be much more attractive candidates. Firstly, because of the transferable skills they have learned and secondly, because it shows personal motivation and drive! Furthermore, these candidates are more capable in articulating their experiences in an interview setting – as all the competency interview questions can be easily answered from examples gained from their work experience.

9)   IMPROVES YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

A part-time post can also help you maintain good mental health, but equally can lead you to mental health issues. Make sure that you listen to yourself and do what is best for you! If you feel that a job is what helps you escape your daily routine and gives the opportunity to try something different, go for it!

10) YOU WILL EARN GEP POINTS

Last but not least, did you know that the BSEO is rewarding you with Greenwich Employability Passport (GEP) Points. You can claim up to 30 points for one academic year for any degree unrelated part-time job, and we all know that points equal prizes!

Remember, valuable experience does not always entail an internship or placement! Having a part-time job during your studies can be very beneficial and can be the exact thing that is missing for you to kick-start your professional career path! If you are still doubting whether you should do it or not, just go for it! A few websites where you can find student friendly roles are: Indeed.co.uk, TotalJobs.com, Reed.co.uk, JobToday.com.

For any further help and guidance contact BSEO at [email protected] to talk with one of our experienced advisers regarding any employability topics. We provide a wide range of services and support. Do not hesitate to book a 1-2-1 appointment with an advisor on InfoHub.