Breaking Down Part-Time Jobs

If you’ve spent any length of time in the UK, you’ll realise just how high cost of living is. So many (mostly international) students picked Edinburgh over London solely because of the cost, only to be slyly handed out the lesser-known info that Edinburgh is one of the most expensive cities in the UK, not too far behind London. The saving grace, then, comes down to part-time jobs and thankfully jobs there are aplenty. If you know where and when to look, part-time jobs can be the ultimate saviour and provide you with just enough support to manage your finances. After living here for a year and working 4 different jobs, here’s the info I’ve gathered.

1. Timelines

From my experience, places often recruit in August-September to cater to incoming students. There’s another wave of recruitment around December for the Christmas season, but it’s not as massive. The most job postings I’ve seen, though, are over the summer period which is when Edinburgh is flooded with tourists and there aren’t enough students to work at busy venues. If you’re an undergraduate first-year, I wouldn’t recommend working in your first semester very much, just because the culture shock, academic transition, socialising, extracurriculars and so on will all need time to adjust to and a job can get way too overwhelming. If you’re a more senior student, it may be worth getting a job early on as it’s possibly the easiest time to get a good job.

2. Wages

Minimum wage in the UK depends on age but if you’re an undergraduate, it’s hardly relevant. An average part-time job will pay £9+ per hour, compared to the much lower minimum wage of £6.83 (for the 18-20 age group), so if you’re going to invest so much of your time and effort, might as well get your time’s worth. I straight up eliminate jobs that pay less than £9 unless the skills or repute are enough to make up for the lesser pay. Minimum wage for >21 years is £9.18 or £9.50 which is fairly decent in comparison. It may also be worth looking if a job offers holiday pay, paid breaks or tips as that may add a decent bit to the overall estimate.

3. Hours

Depending on the kind of job, you may have rigid hours but in most cases you will have some flexibility with regards to your availability. As international students, we are legally allowed to work 20 hours a week during term time, which, frankly, is plenty. During breaks, we can work full-time up to 40 hours, although at no point can we freelance, be self-employed or take a permanent job. It may seem super tempting to do those extra hours to make some extra cash but it is crucial to have your priorities straight and avoid compromising on your overall student experience. At present, I work about 15 hours a week (roughly 2-3 shifts) although I may reduce that as coursework picks up in later weeks.

4. Where to look

Thankfully, the UK doesn’t restrict you to on-campus jobs (scoffing at the States) so you’re free to look for part-time jobs independently. Indeed is a good starting point, although it’s super common to find a job via physical advertisements. Keep an eye out as your walk to your lecture or to dinner, you’ll likely run into a flyer (or ten, depending on the time of year) in shop displays saying they’re hiring. In that case, you can usually walk in with your CV during opening hours or send it online via email. Alternatively, it’s helpful to look at uni websites for job postings. MyCareerHub is the more general website with lots of external postings, while Unitemps is one only for jobs at the uni, with both being updated regularly. I can’t recommend Unitemps jobs highly enough – it’s unlikely you’ll find as good a job with high pay (plus holiday pay), super flexible hours and a very friendly team, but it does get super competitive.

5. Kinds of jobs

The most common jobs in Edinburgh are those in restaurants and bars. Before you scoff and reject them, though, I would really encourage you to look past your internal bias. Working in a hospitality environment goes beyond your CV; I find it teaches you something at a very human level (more on that in a second). Apart from that, tutoring jobs are absolutely great and tend to have a super high pay if you can find the right opportunity. There are also retail jobs in stores and supermarkets, which can be ideal if you’re looking for something closer to your accommodation. My personal favourite, like I’ve said above, are uni jobs which can range from being an ambassador or rep, to helping at the EdHelp desk in the library, as well as some summer internships.

6. Personal experience

My first paid job in the UK was as a stall assistant in the Edinburgh Christmas Markets. It was a fairly short-term role and paid decently, although as my first job, it was certainly a bit intense. The stall I worked at was one of the busiest in the market and I sometimes did 10-hour or 12-hour shifts which is undoubtedly exhausting (would not recommend). It was definitely good experience though and I made some nice cash before I went home for the holidays which was nice.

In semester 2, I got a job as a restaurant assistant in a pretty fancy restaurant on the Royal Mile. Compared to the Christmas Market role, it was less demanding but was in a more formal hospitality setting. More recently, I started working as bar staff in a super popular Cowgate pub. This is a job I’ve taken more for the experience as it pays less than the previous ones I’ve had, although I work with the uni in short-term roles so I’m not particularly fussy at the moment. None of the jobs I’ve had were from Indeed, although I applied to 30 (likely more) on there. The Christmas Market was a walk-up (they had a sign saying they were hiring), the restaurant assistant was based on a friend’s recommendation and the bar staff role was a walk-up too (they had a sign up on the bar). I didn’t have any experience before my first job but I’ve been able to build up since, one job led me to apply for (or at least be qualified for) another, in a way. Working 15 hours a week, it is possible to cover daily expenses and have a decent bit saved up, too, but as much as I appreciate the money, I find it just as satisfying to be able to get the real-world experience. Given the background I come from, all the jobs I’ve done are often looked down on, so it feels great to be able to rise from that mentality and learn to appreciate and respect humanity around me. Without a doubt, I’ve picked up a bunch of skills, but I always look at the difference at a humane level as being more significant. I felt a bigger change in me after 1 month working as a restaurant assistant than 12 months living alone in a new country.

7. Warnings and formalities

It’s easy to fall into a bunch of traps but it’s just as easy to avoid them. If you plan on getting a part-time job, you’ll need to apply for a National Insurance number which should arrive in the mail a few days (or weeks if they’re busier) after you apply. You need to have a UK bank account so you can be paid as most employers won’t pay to international bank accounts. If you’ve applied for your NI number but haven’t received it yet, you can still work, but if you haven’t applied yet, some places may offer to take you on in an apprentice role. Do not do that! Apprentice roles pay about £3-£4 which is far from what you deserve. Also, common advice if you’re Indian is to avoid working at Indian-owned or Indian-run places as the working conditions and pay may not be the best. Another tip: if you have no experience and want to start somewhere, it’s easy to volunteer in places like charity shops that ask for no experience and no long-term commitment, but provide you with the skills and training to be more qualified for a paid job.

Working a part-time job can seem daunting, exciting or more likely both. It may take a while to find something you like but irrespective of what you do, you’ll end up with a ton of experience which goes far beyond monetary reward (although no one’s complaining about that). Good luck with your search and I hope you have a great time in Edinburgh.