Part-time or temporary work may be necessary to boost your bank balance, but it is also an opportunity to improve your CV and develop the skills and experiences that graduate employers look for.

LSE allows 15 hours of part-time work per week in term-time and depending on your visa, you may work full time during vacations.  You must not miss lectures or classes in order to work and always ensure you prioritise your academic work if committing to a part time job.  

Working on campus

Most part-time positions on campus are advertised between September and November. Vacancies may arise at any time but work on campus is popular and competition for places is high.

Work is normally basic administration, event stewarding and postering but pay is reasonably good and departments will understand your academic demands and be willing to be flexible.

• LSE CareerHub
  LSE Careers vacancy board, lists all part-time and casual work suitable for students on campus.
• LSE Jobs
  All jobs at LSE.
• LSE Student Union jobs
  LSESU may advertise its jobs only on its own website.
• Widening Participation – LSE Student Vacancies
  Jobs that give LSE students the opportunity to engage with the London community as Pathways Mentors.
• Academic departments
  Contact departments directly for information about Graduate Teaching Assistants and availability of any student research assistant positions.

Working outside of campus

Job sites

• LSE CareerHub
  Lists part-time jobs around London in a wide range of companies. Often they are looking specifically to recruit an LSE student.
• Employment 4 Students
  Lists part-time jobs in London.
• JobOnline - part-time jobs
  University of London careers service job site.
• Student Job
  Specialist student job site.
• Metro jobs
  London-based job site.

Agencies

Before approaching a recruitment agency, please read our advice on how to get the most from the interaction. See recruitment agencies: the basics.

Temping agencies are a good option for work during holidays or evenings, but you'll need to take a proactive approach and contact them regularly to ask for work after your initial registration.

• Hays
• Agency Central
• Berkeley Scott
  Specialises in catering, events and silver service.
• Student Gems
  Temping agency that makes use of your skills to match you with suitable part-time projects.

Tutoring

Tutoring someone in your subject may be an option. Ensure you agree terms and contracts and speak to LSE Careers if in doubt.

• Tavistock Tutors
• Tutor Fair
• Simply Learning Tuition

Bars, restaurants and shops

Bars, restaurants and shops can be flexible about working hours so are popular choices if you need to work during term time.

They often put jobs vacancy notices in their windows, but you can also just ask if they need more staff. If you take this approach, try to speak to whoever is in charge of hiring rather than just leaving your CV; being friendly, confident and proactive counts.

You could also consider making speculative applications to any companies you want to work for.

Pay and regulations

Pay

UK law specifies that all workers, including students, must be paid the national minimum wage for work.

In reality the distinction between part time and voluntary work can be hard to define and work undertaken as part of your study can be unpaid. Read through the information on the Gov.uk website and know your rights. If in doubt, speak to LSE Careers.

Tax

You only pay tax if you earn above the annual salary threshold. Visit the Gov.uk website for full details.

National Insurance

Everyone working in the UK must have a National Insurance number. Read about how to apply for a National Insurance number on the Gov.uk website.

Visas

Student visas normally allow you to work the School's recommended 15 hours a week of part-time work during term, but 'vacation' time varies depending on your visa and programme of study.

Contact LSE's Student Advice and Engagement Management Team with queries about your student visa.

Applying for a part-time job

Most applications will be by CV together with a cover letter. Make sure that you submit an adjusted version of your CV and covering letter, suitable for part-time work.

Whether meeting an employer face-to-face or contacting them by telephone, make sure you are prepared in terms of what you say and how you dress, as first impressions count!

Ensure you know the job title of the vacancy you’re interested in and the job reference number and/or contact name if appropriate. Also be sure to have any relevant information that the employer may want from you to hand, including your telephone number, email address or details about your experience and availability.

They may wish to contact you at a later date so it might be useful to keep a notebook with details of the different roles you are applying for to avoid confusion.

You may also want to find out more about the job to ascertain that the position is suitable, for example finding out the number of hours or days a week you’d be expected to work. Be careful not to ask questions that have already been answered in the original job advertisement as this may call your attention to detail into question.

Rehearse your questions beforehand to ensure you come across clear, confident and concise as this is the first opportunity for the employer to assess your communication and language skills.

If you have been successful in your application you will be invited for an interview so again you must be prepared!