With the summer holidays finally here (🙏) you’ve got heaps of time on your hands! So much time for Netflix and snoozing and hanging with your pals.
But not if your parents have anything to do with it.
Your mum’s all over the old “got a job yet” chat, and you’re either going to have to move out or give in.
If you’re not convinced about the whole summer/part-time job thing, we’ve got some news for you – it’s actually really worthwhile. Between us at Source HQ, we worked in shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels and even a chip shop in our younger days – and the experience was so worth it.
So of all the popular student jobs out there, what do you actually get out of them aside from cash? Sit back, relax, and let us explain…
Customer service
Oh, the glorious world of retail! Where the customer is always right, even though they’re probably wrong. A full shift spent on your feet dealing with customers, stacking shelves, organising stock rooms, processing purchases and helping find items and make suggestions, shop work isn’t for the faint hearted – but it can be a lot of fun too. From supermarkets to department stores, you’ll meet people you’d never have imagined crossing paths with, get some great colleagues, and pick up lots of great transferable skills. Retail will teach you the art of smiling even when you can’t be bothered, problem solving and boost your confidence no end.
Housekeeping
Working as a hotel housekeeper (read as: cleaner) might not be the world’s most glamorous job but this is a part-time job for heroes. You’ll see all kinds of grimy stuff when cleaning out people’s rooms and the hours tend to be long, but you’ll soon learn the art of cleaning mirrors streak-free, you’ll master the art both of team work and flying solo, and you’ll have loads of horror stories to share with your mates.
Waiting tables
Working in a restaurant is fast and furious – and comes with the added bonus of tips! Eight hours on your feet, racing from table to table, balancing plates, dealing with customers, getting orders right – waiting tables is hard work, but can be really rewarding. This job is all about team work and communication and delivering top class service. What employer doesn’t want to hear that you can deliver all of that with a big ol’ smile on your face?
Barista
Elsewhere in the world of hectic jobs we have the barista! Also known as someone who can navigate one of those terrifying-looking coffee machines in your favourite coffee shop, baristas are responsible for making a variety of different types of coffee in a timely manner, and getting it right. You’ve got to be unflappable to be a barista, and if you know your coffee, you’ve got a head start.
Call centres
Call centres are always on the lookout for staff for the holidays, evenings and weekends – so you can keep this one on when you’re back at class. The pay tends to be pretty good in call centres, whether you’re inbound (taking calls from customers) or outbound (calling current and potential customers). This is a role that’ll teach you confidence, problem solving, manners, patience and self-reliance.
Admin assistant
Over the summer months, some big companies look for an extra pair of hands in the form of a plucky student to come in an help out with general admin tasks. Filing, photocopying, answering phones, dealing with mail – there’s so much to do, and so many skills to learn from organisation to customer service.
As well as all the skills you get on the job, getting a part-time role will teach you about budgeting and money management, independence and help your social life. It’s a total win. So what are you waiting for? Get out there, start dishing out your CV and wow them!
Have you got a part-time job already? What’s it taught you? Tell us in the comments below, or over on Twitter, @SourceMag.
