Job Hunting in St Andrews
Carley Marie Hollis
Monday 28th September 2009
Monday 28th September 2009
Whether you want to scoop ice cream into cones, pull pints as golfers stare down your top or pose naked while people draw you, it is possible to earn some money at the same time as studying for your degree.
While some students can go through their entire university career relying on savings (or daddy’s credit card) for the majority of us a job will be necessary at some point during our four years. Despite being a small town, there are a
plethora of part time positions available, both during term time and the holidays - the big question is how to attain one of these widely sought after posts.
Your Curriculum Vitae is your one stop ticket out of unemployment, so update it, proof-read it and print out two dozen copies. For guidelines on format you can scour the internet or check out our careers centre: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/careers/. Things that make you stand out, like foreign languages, obscure skills (right down to the ability to ride a unicycle!) or gap year experiences will all make an employer take notice. If you really want to be remembered, prink your CV on coloured paper – a simple psychological trick to bring your CV to the top of the pile.
Once your CV is ready, hand it in everywhere. And I mean EVERYWHERE. From Jack Wills to Gorgeous to The Scores Hotel, the town’s businesses rely on the student population to staff their businesses, so don’t miss places because you assume they wont hire a student. Don’t forget the University – the Union alone requires cleaners, bar staff, sectaries and bouncers. Don’t wait until you see a ‘help wanted’ sign – in a recession more than ever being pro-active in your search for a job will make you seem keen and committed.
With any luck, after a short period of time you’ll then be asked to an interview for at least one of the jobs you’ve applied for. The best tip for a successful interview is simple – RESEARCH. For everything from the company history down to the current staff’s uniform, research will give you an insight to whether this job is right for you, and (hopefully!) stop you making an idiot of yourself at the interview.
A bit of background about the job position will help you decide what to wear – there’s no point going to an interview in a designer suit if you’re applying to clean out the seal pools at the aquarium, for example. Research should also give you the opportunity to think up a couple of questions for the person interviewing you – making you seem forward thinking and confident. Finally, don’t get too nervous. The worst that can happen is that you don’t get the job, and there are always more positions out there.
Alternatively there are psychology studies that take up a small potion of your time and pay - adverts for these can usually be found on the library notice boards. Finally, if you’re not yet in St Andrews or chronically lazy, check out the Careers Centre website. As well as advice and information about getting a job in St Andrews, it has a section where employers can place vacancy ads. These adverts are a great way to see who is hiring in town, but make any move you want to make quickly – with 7,000 or so students at the University there’s a good chance someone else will have seen that job advertised too, but don’t let that put you off. For a little town, St Andrews really does have a wide range of jobs available through the academic year – so it’s just a matter of time before you find a position perfect for you.
While some students can go through their entire university career relying on savings (or daddy’s credit card) for the majority of us a job will be necessary at some point during our four years. Despite being a small town, there are a
plethora of part time positions available, both during term time and the holidays - the big question is how to attain one of these widely sought after posts.
Your Curriculum Vitae is your one stop ticket out of unemployment, so update it, proof-read it and print out two dozen copies. For guidelines on format you can scour the internet or check out our careers centre: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/careers/. Things that make you stand out, like foreign languages, obscure skills (right down to the ability to ride a unicycle!) or gap year experiences will all make an employer take notice. If you really want to be remembered, prink your CV on coloured paper – a simple psychological trick to bring your CV to the top of the pile.
Once your CV is ready, hand it in everywhere. And I mean EVERYWHERE. From Jack Wills to Gorgeous to The Scores Hotel, the town’s businesses rely on the student population to staff their businesses, so don’t miss places because you assume they wont hire a student. Don’t forget the University – the Union alone requires cleaners, bar staff, sectaries and bouncers. Don’t wait until you see a ‘help wanted’ sign – in a recession more than ever being pro-active in your search for a job will make you seem keen and committed.
With any luck, after a short period of time you’ll then be asked to an interview for at least one of the jobs you’ve applied for. The best tip for a successful interview is simple – RESEARCH. For everything from the company history down to the current staff’s uniform, research will give you an insight to whether this job is right for you, and (hopefully!) stop you making an idiot of yourself at the interview.
A bit of background about the job position will help you decide what to wear – there’s no point going to an interview in a designer suit if you’re applying to clean out the seal pools at the aquarium, for example. Research should also give you the opportunity to think up a couple of questions for the person interviewing you – making you seem forward thinking and confident. Finally, don’t get too nervous. The worst that can happen is that you don’t get the job, and there are always more positions out there.
Alternatively there are psychology studies that take up a small potion of your time and pay - adverts for these can usually be found on the library notice boards. Finally, if you’re not yet in St Andrews or chronically lazy, check out the Careers Centre website. As well as advice and information about getting a job in St Andrews, it has a section where employers can place vacancy ads. These adverts are a great way to see who is hiring in town, but make any move you want to make quickly – with 7,000 or so students at the University there’s a good chance someone else will have seen that job advertised too, but don’t let that put you off. For a little town, St Andrews really does have a wide range of jobs available through the academic year – so it’s just a matter of time before you find a position perfect for you.
