Getting experience of the world of work at the earliest opportunity is a great way for undergraduates to improve their career prospects ahead of graduation day.
New research has revealed that as well as taking up internships and sandwich year placements during their studies, university students are also holding down either full-time or part-time roles.
This is according to a survey of 2,128 students conducted by student insurance agency Endsleigh, which showed that 13% of students have a full-time job which they work in during their university holidays, during term-time or both.
Further figures showed that more than half (59%) of the students questioned are taking on part-time work at the minimum during the course of their studies.
Tom Gilmour, a student at Manchester Metropolitan University, explains the reasoning behind his decision to work whilst an undergraduate. He said: “Before starting university, I was definitely worried that I wouldn’t have enough money to pay for everything I needed. When you added it altogether, rent, the weekly supermarket bill, going out – it seemed a daunting prospect.
“I decided that, rather than just worrying about money, I needed to find the time to take on paid work during my degree.”
A boost to the bank balance and CV
Further figures from the research offered additional insights into why students are opting to combine work with study. For more than half (58%) of those questioned, the money they earned from the full-time or part-time roles helped them meet their everyday expenses as well as putting more money in the pot for socialising.
38% of students taking part in the research revealed that they were working to save for the future, while a further 41% felt that the jobs they take up during university will help to boost their employability.
“The results suggest that working students are, at least in part, finding employment in the hope that the additional experience will help them stand out from the crowd when it comes to kick-starting their careers,” said Kim McGuinness, Education Sector Manager at Endsleigh.
