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For many students, part-time or vacation work has become an integral part of student life.
As well as easing financial pressures, a well-chosen job can provide excellent work experience.
It can give you a taste of different working environments, and provide a competitive edge for when you leave university and enter the workplace.
Many universities and colleges have jobshops connecting students to local employers offering part-time or vacation work, and often run special initiatives with local employers and organisations. For details of how your local institution can help, visit the National Council For Work Experience site. In addition, a number of commercial jobshops are now appearing on-line, such as Hotrecruit.
It is important to be realistic and balanced in approach to part-time jobs. Working for too many hours during term-time will unquestionably impact your ability to produce good academic work. In addition, you may be exempt from paying income tax on money earned, so make sure that your employer is aware of this.
There are a number of organisations that can help you get exciting and advantageous work experience during the long summer vacation. The Shell Technology and Enterprise Programme (STEP) places suitable students with small to medium companies for paid summer work experience placements. The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) also places science and engineering students in paid summer placements abroad. For those without a science and technology background, the British Universities North America Club (BUNAC) offers a range of vacation work programmes across the world.
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