For many students part-time and temporary employment is a financial necessity, but as well improving the health of your bank balance, working while studying can also help you develop a wide range of valuable skills and experience in preparation for graduation. ‘Part-time jobs, temporary work and vacation work will give students a competitive edge in the graduate employment market,’ explains Louise Westhead of NASES, the National Association of Student Employment Services. ‘This work provides many basic employability skills, for example team working, leadership, negotiation, communication and problem solving.’ When looking for part-time work it’s important to consider how you will balance the demands of work and study. To do this effectively you need to take a realistic look at the amount of free time you have outside of university commitments and then seek a vacancy, which can fit around these demands. With over 120 university job shops and some 7000 recruitment agencies throughout the UK it’s safe to say that there’s no shortage of places to start looking for suitable term-time vacancies. A list of possible starting points is included below. If you’re looking for work outside term-time many job shops offer students from other universities the opportunity to use their services to find temporary employment in their home town. A full list of those services open to students of any university during vacation times is available at www.nases.org.uk/vacationlink Further information Links to the following websites have been provided for information only and do not imply a recommendation. Graduate Prospects accept no liability for linked sites. www.morethanwork.net – Information and advice for working students, including a list of all university job shops. Jobcentre Plus – Job opportunities throughout the UK. www.jobsite.co.uk – UK jobs search and jobs by email service. www.totaljobs.co.uk – Searchable database of opportunities throughout the UK. www.scotcareers.co.uk – Employment opportunities in Scotland. | 
