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.
Read on for key things to consider in your job search, top tips for making applications, and a live feed of part-time vacancies currently available on CareerHub.
Important things to consider before starting your part-time job search
LSE recommends that full-time students commit to no more than 15 hours of part-time work per week during term time. In vacation periods, depending on your visa, you might choose to work more than this.
It's also important to prioritise your academic work if committing to a part-time job.
Student visas usually allow you to work the School’s recommended 15 hours a week of part-time work during term time, but how much you can work during the holidays will vary depending on your visa and programme of study.
For more information about visas and part-time work, please connect with the Student Advice and Engagement team.
Finding part-time work
Opportunities on campus
A number of part-time positions on campus are advertised between June and November.
Many of the part-time work opportunities at LSE are posted on CareerHub. For a full list of current vacancies on campus and beyond, please visit the Part-Time Jobs section of CareerHub.
Want to work at LSESU? The School’s SU posts their part-time vacancies on their own website – for more details, visit the LSESU website.
Opportunities across London and beyond:
As on campus vacancies are highly competitive, it can be a good idea to apply for part-time roles off campus too.
Here are a few vacancies currently on CareerHub that you might like to check out, including some available with LSE departments:
In addition to browsing roles on CareerHub, you also might like to check out the following jobs boards for other part-time roles:
Prefer to visit local businesses to hand out your CV or ask about opportunities? You might like to check out the various interactive maps on the Visit London website for inspiration of organisations to approach.
Feeling more entrepreneurial? You can also consider self-employment. Examples of self-employed services that students offer include tutoring, writing/editing, graphic design and video editing, virtual assistants and translation. For more information about getting starting and ensuring you are compliant visit the LSE Generate team.
A note on agencies: Temping agencies can be 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. There are many agencies to choose from and it is important to do your research. Be careful of agencies that charge you to source jobs on your behalf as you should not be paying a recruitment agency for their service (agencies are paid by the employer, not the candidate).
Top tips for applying for part-time jobs
Found a role you want to apply for? Here are some top tips for making your applications shine:
- If the role requires a CV and cover letter as part of the application, make sure you submit something that is adjusted to meet the person specification of the role – do not use the same CV that you are using to apply to graduate positions.
- When meeting an employer, whether face-to-face or by phone, make sure you prepare what you want to say and dress appropriately – first impressions count!
- Consider using temporary and gig work platforms like the JobToday app or Indeed Flex app, as these roles often offer more flexibility than traditional part-time roles. They can be a great option for students with varying schedules.
- If the application involves an application form instead of or in addition to a CV, make sure you have your key details to hand, including your telephone number, email address, and details about your experience and availability (including the dates of any relevant previous work you might have done).
- If you’re applying for multiple different part-time roles, it’s a good idea to keep a notebook or spreadsheet with details of different roles you’re applying to, including the job title and key points from the person specification.
- If something isn’t clear in the job description, do reach out to the hiring contact to ask for more information – with part-time roles, this could be more information about the days or hours you might be expected to work, for example.
- Use LSE Careers’ online tools to get your CV checked or practice your interview technique.
- You can also book an appointment with a Careers Consultant to review your CV or cover letter if this would be helpful. Find out more on our Appointments webpage.
Other ways to get work experience
Part-time work is just one of many ways you can gain work experience during your time at LSE.
You could also complete an internship, take part in a work-based learning programme, or do some volunteering – all of these are great to add to your CV, and can also help you to identify the types of roles and work you enjoy.
Explore internships and other work-based learning programmes at LSE on our Jobs and opportunities webpage.
Find out more about volunteering on the LSE Volunteer Centre webpages.
How to make the most of your part-time experience in job applications
Balancing a part-time job while studying is an opportunity to develop some key transferrable skills as well as earning some money. As a student, leveraging this experience in your job applications can support you in demonstrating competencies employers are looking for. Here’s how you can make the most of your part-time work.
Identify the skills you’ve developed in your part-time job that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
Here is a list of skills often developed through part-time work:
- customer service
- teamwork
- problem-solving
- resilience
- time management
Remember: when you are talking about your part-time work you are not listing your responsibilities, rather you are evidencing achievements and skills developed, for example:
- Resolved customer complaints professionally, ensuring positive customer outcomes and minimising escalation
- Identified improvements for the checkout process, reducing average wait times by 15% during peak hours
- Consistently achieved daily sales targets, averaging a 10% increase in upsells for store promotions
Do not underestimate the importance of including part-time work in your applications, especially in the early stages of your career – recruiters are interested in hearing about these experiences!
It’s important that you include your part-time experience in your CV, but don’t forget you can also refer to your part-time experiences in your cover letter and talk about them during interviews.