Working while you study

Flexible options to support yourself

There are plenty of casual and part-time jobs available and if you're reliable there are plenty of employers who'll want you. Most universities and TAFEs have an employment office advertising jobs in retail, hospitality, building, customer service, administration, telemarketing, delivery, bar work, labouring and any number of other jobs that come and go.

You might even be able to land part-time work in your area of study. For example, working in an architect's office, accountancy firm or law firm will help you acquire useful professional skills. It also looks great on your resume and might give you some great references to help you secure your dream job.

While studying can be demanding, and most course advisers would not recommend working more than 15 hours per week, the reality is that students have flexible hours. If you're motivated, you can choose to work hard in quiet times and holidays to help you save for the things you love or need, like travelling or a car. Or, you can pay your fees upfront and get a 20% HECS-HELP discount.

Part-time or casual work?

Casual and part-time jobs are considered part of the package for most people who are studying, whether it's to gain invaluable experience or to simply get more money in your pocket.

Part-time work is basically less hours than a full-time job, with a regular weekly schedule of work. It also includes basic entitlements like superannuation and holiday entitlements, which are outlined in individual employment contracts.

Casual work means you work irregular hours without entitlements. Casual work is generally regarded as offering attractive hourly rates of pay to compensate for the lack of entitlements.

Tips for finding a job

With plenty of casual and part-time jobs always up for grabs you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a job that fits in with your study schedule. Here are some of the places you can start your job search:

Look on the bulletin boards at university and ask around on campus
Check with your student union or university careers centre for local jobs
Get online to all the career websites
Walk-in off the street and ask restaurants and hotels if they need staff. It's one of the most effective ways of securing a job

Below is a list of job websites to help you in your search: