Student blogs

Living in London is no cheap feat; your expenses will rack up very quickly when you pay for rent, travel fees, groceries, takeaways, shopping sprees, etc. We’ve all had that little adrenaline rush as we check our bank accounts at the end of each month.

On top of managing your budget, you might want to consider getting a part-time job or two to support yourself throughout the academic year. Yet, between Imperial’s workload and your society engagements, you might be hesitant about jamming yet another commitment in your already-packed schedule.

After talking to my friends and peers, I have come up with a list of part-time work that Imperial students can definitely check out!

Working at The Union Bar

If you are a night owl and enjoy a fast-paced working environment, you might be interested in applying for a job at The Union Bar (once it reopens). According to my flatmate, “It is an amazing way to earn some cash while you socialise with lots of people. After work, you can end the night with some drinks with your colleagues!”

You can apply for a position by clicking this link and filling up an application form. Once processed, they will invite you for an interview. The pay starts from £8.21 per hour with holiday pay allowance, and in general, shifts last for 5 to 12 hours. It may seem daunting, but “time passes very quickly when you work” and “you get to choose your shifts based on your availability and previous commitments”.

President’s Ambassador

Currently, applications are closed to all, but will reopen during the autumn term. You will usually be able to sign up to a lot of different types of jobs such as leading campus tours, representing Imperial during Open Days, giving student talks, ushering at occasions like Graduation Days, etc. The application process involves filling in a form and a group interview, and if you pass, you will attend a mandatory training session.

As my other flatmate says, “There is no minimum commitment. You sign up for jobs when you are free. A major perk of being an Ambassador is that you get to meet lots of people, and you get your own Ambassador’s T-shirt!”

Unfortunately, the President’s Ambassador scheme is only open to first-year undergraduates and post-graduates, and the competition is fierce!

Outreach Ambassador

This is an alternative to the President’s Ambassador scheme and is open to applications from students of all years. You can apply to work as a Student Blogger (like me!), an Outreach STEM Leader, or even join the Pimlico Connection Scheme.

Being a Student Blogger means that I have to submit 2 blogs per month (2 hours of work) about any topic that interests me and is deemed to be helpful for both current and potential students. It is quite flexible, and I get to reflect on my own experiences through writing. At Pimlico, you will be tutoring students with underprivileged backgrounds in GCSE or A-level maths and science subjects. You can use your experience gained through your own studies to help these students improve academically, providing them with the same opportunities that some people might pay a significant amount of money for.

Finally, Outreach STEM Leaders share their passion for their subject area with students aged 6-18 to engage them in science, medicine and engineering early on. To be a STEM Leader, you must be an expert in your subject area and can communicate your knowledge to a younger audience.

Tutoring (external agencies)

Another easy way to earn money is to sign up for tutoring agencies, where you can utilise your existing knowledge accumulated from your time at school without doing too much extra work. Depending on the agency, you can earn around £15 to £35 an hour. If you speak Mandarin or Korean, I recommend tutoring students from China and Korea as they value international education highly, and you may very well be in high demand.

An important thing to take note of is the fact that international students are not allowed to work on a self-employed basis, which may be a problem for some agencies. I recommend that you email the company in advance to clarify this before you submit an application.

StudentShapers

The StudentShapers initiative is Imperial’s way of actively involving students as partners in not just learning, but also teaching. Students can work with academic staff on a wide range of projects that help improve the overall education experience at Imperial. Projects typically fall in the broad categories of curriculum development, educational research, translation of research into teaching (for graduate research students), designing learning spaces, and expanding the cross-disciplinary IExplore modules.

These opportunities are offered during term time, though they are more common during summer vacation. The length of projects and work hours vary, with some lasting months and requiring full-time work. Bursaries are provided at a weekly rate based on the level of commitment required, and so the value varies quite a bit. Vacancies are posted and updated on the StudentShapers website, so be sure to check it out!

This is the list for now! I realise that most of the jobs have Imperial as the employer and that some of you might be interested in working for external employers – I might address alternatives in another blog post. And remember: if you are on a Tier 4 student visa, you can’t work more than 20 hours a week during term time. You can work full-time during holidays, though!