If you’re a student in the UK, juggling lectures, essays, and a vibrant social life can be a fun experience. But let's be real, student living in the UK can also be very expensive, especially in cities like London, Manchester, or Brighton.

Whether you're aiming to cover your rent, fund weekend adventures, or just want a bit more financial freedom, finding part-time jobs for students in the UK is a smart move.

This guide is a roadmap to landing the best and most student-friendly jobs, boosting your income, and making the most of your time in the UK. Now, let's get into it!

Understanding Your Student Visa & Working in the UK

First things first, let's talk about the specifics, which are always important, but especially if you're an international student. Navigating the UK's work regulations is beyond crucial for a smooth experience when applying for part-time work. 

Generally, if you're on a student visa for a degree-level course, you're permitted to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during term time. This is a strict weekly limit, not an average over a longer period. However, during official university vacations and outside of term time, you can usually work full-time.

It's vital to understand what you cannot do: you cannot be self-employed, set up your own business (unless it's part of a university-sanctioned entrepreneurship program), or take on permanent full-time employment. 

Also, ensure you apply for a National Insurance Number (NIN) if you don't already have one by that point, as you absolutely need it to work. Always double-check your specific visa conditions and your university's policies, as some universities might have additional restrictions that are beyond the standard ones. Remember that staying compliant and keeping all rules in mind means a stress-free time with your job.

Top On-Campus & Local Part-Time Jobs For Students in the UK

Alright, let's talk about those classic, reliable part-time jobs that students in the UK have relied on for decades. These roles are often really flexible and understand all the unique demands of student life, making them a perfect fit for students who want flexibility.

On-Campus Jobs: 

Your university will always be full of employment opportunities. Roles like:

• Library Assistant: This job is perfect for those who want quiet study time between tasks and a comfy environment.

• Student Ambassador: This is great for boosting your CV before you enter the job market, meeting new people, and often involves flexible hours that work around your schedule and around events.

• University Cafe or Staff: Convenient, social, and often offers shifts that align greatly with your breaks and days off.

• Research Assistant/Teaching Assistant: If your grades are great enough, these roles can offer valuable experience and good pay, sometimes even directly related to your field of study, and they could even be a long-term role.

• Campus Security or Reception: Can offer stable hours, often evenings or weekends.
  
  

Local Retail & Hospitality Part-Time Jobs: 

These sectors are constantly on the lookout for flexible staff, making them prime hunting grounds for part-time jobs that students in the UK can easily slot into.

• Retail Assistant/Sales Assistant: From high-street fashion to electronics, these roles are abundant. These jobs offer great part-time salaries for students and are plentiful.

• Supermarket Staff: Grocery stores like Aldi, Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Asda are massive employers of students. These jobs are plentiful, have great entry wages, offer consistent hours, and sometimes even staff discounts.

• Waiter/Waitress, Barista, Bar Staff: Pubs, restaurants, and cafes thrive on students taking part-time work. The hours are typically flexible (evenings, weekends), and tips can really boost your earnings.

• Customer Service Representative: Many companies have call centres or online support that require evening and weekend coverage. It’s a job that always welcomes students, as they are always in need of new representatives.

• Delivery Driver: If you have a bike, scooter, or car, then food delivery services (Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat) or parcel delivery can offer incredibly flexible hours, allowing you to work when you want.

Working in a local shop or supermarket, for instance, can earn you a solid £230-£260 in a single week if you put in around 20 hours. It's one of the most reliable ways of earning money while studying in the UK.

Best Online Part-Time Jobs for UK Students They Can Do From Their Dorm

Who says you need to leave your PJs to earn money? The digital world has opened up a wide variety of online part-time jobs for students UK-wide. These are fantastic for their flexibility, allowing you to work from your dorm room, a quiet corner of the library, or even a local cafe. They are also excellent for gaining experience in specific fields.

• Part-Time Writing & Content Creation: From blog posts and articles to social media content and copywriting, brands and individuals constantly need fresh content. Even within this, you can specialise in Digital Marketing, Data Entry, SEO Specialist work, or pure Content Writing.

• Graphic Designer: Got a creative eye? You can find part-time or full-time work to design logos, social media graphics, flyers, or even help with branding. There are plenty of tools like Canva (though not a direct earning platform, it helps create assets for other platforms) and Adobe products that can get you started.

• Video Editor: With the increase of YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, skilled video editors are in high demand. If you have a flair for creativity and software like Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, you can find flexible, well-paying jobs on these platforms and many others that want editors.

• Online Tutoring/Online Course Creation: If you excel in a particular subject, you can teach it online! Platforms like Preply, Cambly (for English teaching), Udemy, and Skillshare allow you to set your own hours and rates. You can even create and sell your own online courses, earning passive income once they're published.

• Translator: If you're multilingual, translation jobs are a solid option. Companies like Accenture and Adidas sometimes require translation services. You can also find projects on general job sites.

• Voice-Over Artist: Companies often want voice-overs for tutorial/explanation videos, ads, or audiobooks. Websites like Voices.com feature such opportunities among other sites.

• SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) can be incredibly lucrative. Businesses need full-time and part-time SEO specialists to improve their online visibility. With rates potentially reaching £10-£75 per hour for this type of work (though starting rates will be lower), it's a valuable skill. Platforms like Thinkific are for learning SEO, but you'd find clients on platforms like LinkedIn.

• Calligrapher: If you have beautiful handwriting, people pay for custom invitations, signage, or stationery. Platforms like Etsy or Creative Market can be used to sell your unique designs.

• Blogging: Starting your own blog (on platforms like WordPress, Wix, Blogger, etc.) can be a long-term income strategy through advertising, affiliate marketing, or selling your own products. It takes time to build an audience, but you can get very high passive income after a while.

• Selling T-shirts/Print-on-Demand: If you find an online store that needs people, you can design unique T-shirts with funny quotes or cool graphics and sell them online on places like Facebook Marketplace. These stores will usually handle a lot of the work; you’ll only need to focus on the designs. 

• Kindle Book Publishing: Leverage your writing and research skills by self-publishing eBooks on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). You can earn up to 70% royalties on sales, a fantastic way to get money.
  
  

Easy & Accessible Online Work: These are great for filling spare moments when you have nothing else to do and want the benefit of work.

• Virtual Customer Support: Many companies want and often need lots of remote agents to handle customer inquiries via chat, email, or phone. This virtual customer support job is a very flexible work-from-home option that often requires good communication skills rather than any specific work experience. Check Amazon and Apple's remote customer service openings, or job sites where you can find plenty, like LinkedIn.

• Online Paid Surveys: Lots of brands will pay individuals for their opinions on something, to test products, or even simply gather market research. You might earn a few pounds for a few minutes of your time, or sometimes even gift cards. While not a huge earner, it’s an easy way to accumulate extra cash or prizes.

• Online Paid Tasks / Micro-tasking: Websites like OnePoll will offer you small tasks like data entry, transcription, or very simple content moderation that can be completed quickly for quick pay, making it a solid option.

• Review Music: Slicethepie allows you to earn money by reviewing unsigned bands and musicians. A fun way to turn your passion into extra money.

• Answering Questions: If you're a subject expert, platforms like JustAnswer or Studypool allow you to get paid for providing expert responses to user questions.

Where to Find the Best Student Part-Time Jobs

After you've decided from the previous lists on the one that best suits you and your schedule, you can start your search. If you can't find it on your own, here's where you can find those perfect student part-time jobs:

• University Career Services: University career services are services that are specifically tailored for students, often have exclusive listings, and provide excellent CV and interview support. They're always available on your campus, and you can make use of them at your leisure.

• Online Job Boards: Websites like Indeed, Reed, E4S, and StudentJob are goldmines. Use specific search terms like "student part-time," "flexible hours," "weekend work," or "no experience." If you're looking for online jobs, make sure to check places like LinkedIn's many listings, since you can find plenty of listings there.

• Local Businesses Around Your Area: Don't underestimate the ease and effectiveness of walking into local cafes, shops, restaurants, or pubs with your CV. Many small businesses prefer direct applications or have "staff wanted" signs in their windows.

• Recruitment Agencies: Some agencies specialise in temporary or part-time roles that are ideal for students. They can match you with some opportunities that suit your schedule and skills.

• Networking: Talk to friends, classmates, flatmates, and even your teachers. You never know who might have a connection or know of an opening that can help you. Word-of-mouth is still incredibly powerful and is one of the absolute best ways to get a job as a student.

• Looking on Social Media: You can join any university-related job groups on Facebook or LinkedIn for plenty of student-specific opportunities and local listings. You can also follow any specific companies you'd like to work for in the future after graduating, as they will post openings there first and might post something that would work great for you and your schedule as a student.
  
  

Finding part-time jobs for students in the UK is very achievable and can really improve your university experience and quality of life, giving you some needed financial independence and valuable work experience. 

With a little planning, smart searching, and determination, you'll be getting the best of what student part-time work can offer. Finally, if you want student accommodation that’s near the best jobs and is easy on your budget, check out our student accommodation options at Casita!