What skills can you get from a part time job while at university?
By: Kayleigh, redwigwam
So, you’re going to university!
For the first time, you’re in a new city. You’re excited and nervous to be moving out on your own away from your parents! The student loan hits your bank account and there are lots of new bars and restaurants to explore with your new flatmates.
Life is good!
But then you realise this loan might not afford you all the luxuries you would like during your time at university. You want to make sure you can eat well, have a social life and some new clothes now and again…
What do you do?
Naturally, what you need is a job to go alongside your studies! But as well as bringing you in some much-needed extra cash, what other benefits are there to part time working whilst at university?
Wonder no longer, we’ve put together a list of top skills you’ll learn and the benefits to gaining work experience (aside from the financial gain!)
Time management
Refining your time management skills means you’ll be better at prioritising what’s important and making sure tasks are completed in a timely manner.
Working on your time management comes in very useful in work and at university as you’ll need to make sure you can complete tasks set by your employer of course you need to manage your time effectively to complete your university assignments around your other commitments.
Organisation
This goes hand in hand with time management as you need to organise your commitments. Whilst in work you’ll learn to complete tasks in an organised manner and find a way of working which will be most productive for you.
Interpersonal skills
This is a very important skill to have in life in general, as improving your interpersonal skills will mean you are a better communicator. At work you’ll encounter all different types of people who you might not normally meet. You’ll need to learn the best way to communicate with these people and how to adapt your style of communication accordingly, depending on who you’re dealing with.
Professionalism
This also refers to how you communicate with people. You’ll learn how to complete your job in a professional manner. If you’re working in a customer facing role, you’ll learn how to be professional with customers. This is important as being unprofessional at work can mean you might affect the reputation of the company you are working for.
Whilst at work, you’re representing the company and you need to always represent them in a positive way. This will stand for any job you will have at any stage in your life.
Customer service
If you’re in a customer facing role, you’ll learn customer service skills. Many employers will give you training on this so you can further develop this skill.
Maybe you’re thinking customer service skills are irrelevant to you, if the career you want in the future that you are studying for at university has nothing to do with customer service?
Well, it’s a highly transferable skill which can also make you a better communicator.
Learning to be good at customer service is beneficial when dealing with clients and stakeholders in any professional job. You’ll be better at ensuring they are happy with the products and services your company is providing and that any problems they have will be solved. Within this you’ll also master emotional intelligence, influencing skills, problem solving and resilience.
Teamwork
Working within a team to ensure all tasks are completed in a timely manner. You’ll learn that you must be a team player whilst at work – wherever that may be! You’ll need to make sure you pull your weight so that you are seen as a helpful and worthwhile employee.
Independence
Earning your own money for the first time then spending it on something you really want, or need can give you a great sense of independence. You’ll have a greater appreciation for money and its value.
Work ethic
Having a good attitude towards work is key. Wanting to do well, having good morals, and placing a high value on professional success is important for students to learn as this will help you in your studies and in your future career.
Taking the most from your part-time student job and applying the skills you learn whilst working can really set you up for anything you decide to do in the future!
If you’re a student and you would like to work whilst at university, but you’re worried about the impact this might have on your studies, we have the perfect solution for you!
Here at redwigwam, we offer flexible working so you can choose when you work. This means if you’re having a period where your studies are more demanding you can cut back on working and if you’re having a quieter time at uni with a little more spare time, you can work more and earn the extra money you need.
Another benefit to working with us is that as we have jobs all over the UK, you can still work when you go home for the holidays, if you choose to. And with our quick pay, you’re never waiting too long to receive your wages. You can opt to be paid weekly, monthly or within 24 hours of your timesheet being signed off!
