Job Search

There are a wide variety of jobs that you can do and they can be part time or full time, there are even jobs just for the holidays. There are also jobs that give you the opportunity to train and learn (such as Apprenticeships).

When looking for work you need to consider what type of job you want, as this will help you decide how and where to start looking for work.

Jobs with Training

A lot of jobs will provide you with on the job training to enable you to do the job you have been hired for. The skills that you will learn during this training will be helpful to not only this job but will also come in helpful with future jobs. Along with this on the job training the employers may also offer the chance to earn in work qualifications.

The training received while working, along with in work qualifications if available, will help you move forward in your career, including being promoted or moving onto more challenging roles.

Jobs without Training

Although most jobs will offer some sort of on the job training, there are some that don’t offer training, these are generally known as “dead end jobs” because there is no way to progress or even build your career. These roles may have higher than normal wages initially, but in the long term due to the lack of career progression the salary will soon not compare to other positions you may have applied for that had training included.

Apprenticeships

Under our section on Apprenticeships you will find out more information but here is a brief overview. An Apprenticeship provides you with the opportunity to earn qualifications while you work, and earn from an employer. They are available in a number of areas, including Business, Childcare, Engineering and Retail to name a few. For some jobs it is one of the main ways to start your career. While completing the Apprenticeship you will take a mixture of vocational qualifications, technical skills and key skills to help you move forward.

When you apply for an Apprenticeship you are hired directly by the employer, and will earn a wage of £2.68 per hour, rising to £2.73 per hour from 1st October 2014, sometimes employers will choose to pay more but never less due to the National Minimum Wage System.

Once you have completed your Apprenticeship you can either go onto full time work or choose to continue studying. Your employer may even offer you the opportunity to move onto the Advanced or Higher Apprenticeship, helping you to obtain higher qualifications, as well as learn more advanced work skills.

Part-Time/Temporary Work

This is a great way to earn money and get experience while studying or if you have other commitments that means full time work is not suitable.

It is possible to work in most sectors on a part-time basis, although there are rules that need to be met for the number of hours that students still in school can work.

Temporary jobs are varied some may last a few weeks and others may last a year or more, these may be good jobs to have that work around school/college or university.

It is also possible to have a short term contract, this normally involves a job that has a set start and finish date, an example would be covering someone on maternity leave, or working for a retail company on a Christmas contract.

There are some jobs that may have shift work attached to them, this normally means there are three shifts, morning, afternoons or nights, and they don’t follow the normal 9—5 role.

If looking for part time/temporary work you could also look at jobs advertised as casual work, these jobs may have zero hours contract, and don’t have set hours, there is also no guarantee of weekly work, but generally you will be called as and when your employer needs extra staff.

If you are looking for temporary or casual work it is a good idea to register with employment agencies.

Holiday Work

There are a variety of jobs that are available during school/college or university holidays, as they have seasonal requirements that often can fit around studies. Options for work during your holiday time include:

  • Working abroad - this gives the opportunity to travel during your holiday, while earning and gaining work experience. (see our section on Gap year to find out more options relating to working abroad).
  • Look for work during the holiday that is related to something you are interested in, for example sports coaching, or working at the local cinema.
  • Find a holiday job that will help to support your studies, so if you are taking law you may work in a local law firm.

Self Employment

You may decide you don’t want to work for someone else and that you just want to work for yourself, setting up your own business. It is worth remembering that having your own business is very hard work, involves long hours and may not always provide a wage while setting up.

To be self employed you don’t have to set up your own business, there are many casual jobs that classify the employee as self employed, this may include door to door sales people, or those that collect for charity. If this is the case, the employer should make it clear to you that it is self employed position, and what you earn will depend on what you do.

If you are self employed you will need to sort our your own Income Tax and National Insurance payments, you will also not be entitled to the National Minimum Wage, meaning that if you do work for an employer they will only pay you when you get results for them. To find out more about Income Tax and National Insurance when self employed on the Self Employed sections of the HM Revenue & Customs website, www.hmrc.gov.uk/selfemployed.

Where to look for Work?

There are a wide variety of places to search for work, below are a few suggestions to help you:

Internet

More and more jobs are being advertised on the internet, whether through a job search site or through the websites of the employers directly. Some of the sites listed below are great places to start, as well as get advice on CV’s, ,Applications and Interview techniques:

With many job search sites you can even set up an email alert to have vacancies you are interested in, and match your skills/qualifications emailed or even texted to you.

Most employers have their own websites and use this as the main way to recruit staff. You can normally download application forms or even apply online, along with get the information you need about the job.

Yell.com is also a useful website that will allow you to find details of employers in your area, you may be interested in sending speculative letters or CV’s. You can find more information about this under Applying by Letter or Email.

Social Network sites are even getting in on the action and so you may even see mention of vacancies via Twitter or Facebook. Although it is important that you check them out to verify that they employer is genuine and real.

If you aren’t on the internet you can usually use the internet for free in school/college or public libraries.

Local Newspapers

The local newspaper is ordinarily a great place to start when looking for work in your own area. Often the free newspaper will include a vacancies section, and the daily papers that you can buy will normally have a dedicated day where the advertise job vacancies, for example the Birmingham Mail advertises on a Thursday—you can also check out the newspapers website at www.midlands.fish4jobs.co.uk

If you do find a job you are interested in it is important to get in touch quickly as you will be up against a lot of competition.

Jobcentre Plus

Advertise vacancies within the local job centre, as well as online. If you do find a vacancy within the jobcentre you can take it over to an advisor who will give you more information.

Employment Agencies

Here you will find a wide variety of jobs and usually have temporary positions available. Agencies often specialise in a particular type of work—for example office, warehouse, hospitality etc. Many agencies even advertise vacancies specifically for students during the summer holidays.

You will need to register with the agency and they will normally have you in for a short interview to find out more about your skills and experience, availability for work and the type of work you want to do. Depending on the jobs you are interested in you may also be asked to carry out skills tests, for example typing, filing etc.

Once registered with the agency they will try to find suitable work for you based on your interview, skills and experience. The great thing is you can register with several agencies to open up your options.

Many also offer an online service, www.alljobsuk.com is a great site to help find the websites for different agencies, based on key words and location.

Local High Street

Many high street stores advertise for staff, whether full time or part time, with the adverts going up in the store windows. This is especially the case during the Christmas and Summer seasons. In this situation you will normally need to hand in your CV or collect an application form.

Jobs Fairs, Careers Exhibitions

Attending these events provide you with the opportunity to meet local employers and find out about the job opportunities in your area.

Personal Contacts

Make the most of personal contacts you have as this can be a great way to find work, especially within very competitive areas of work. Make sure that your family and friends know that you are looking for work as they may know about vacancies where they work, or in their local area.