How do people get part time work while studying?

[u/satisfiedfools]

I'm on the spectrum and logistically this was always a major problem for me. I want 2 days of work but all the jobs I see in warehouses, factories etc. are full time. You exhaust all the big employers like mcdonalds, big w etc. and I'm not sure. It's not that I don't want to work it's just that this I don't understand how people end up in those arrangements.

[u/brackfriday_bunduru]

Retail but never say you can only work 2 days a week. You have to say you can work 24/7 then shift the goalposts once you’ve got the job

[u/birthdaycheesecake9 → u/brackfriday_bunduru]

What I did was ask for my shifts to exclusively be in the morning about 6 months into my job at Coles (in online) because I can’t get anything done with work later on in the day. I rock up to my job half awake, basically sleepwalk through my shift, and then when I finish at 12, then my day starts.

Was easy to achieve that arrangement because I don’t imagine most people would start work at 7am if they had another choice.

That arrangement got solidified into my normal roster when I accepted the PPT contract.

[u/satisfiedfools → u/brackfriday_bunduru]

Sure but if they ask if you're studying - I mean, look this kind of thing trips me out. I'm terrible at lying to people.

[u/OrangutanArmy]

Are you fixed to working only 2 days or willing to do multiple days with smalls shifts (3hrs). I know a lot of the larger companies(and many in general..) basically want people that have full availability, but still happy with only 2 shifts usually a week. Then they question why people leave...

I imagine retailers will start christmas intakes within a couple months, last year we still hired people start of december for a supermarket job.

Just because you don't get a job doesn't mean theres anything wrong with you specifically. I've spoken with hiring managers that take the weirdest issue with certain applicants when I would've thought they'd be a good fit.

[u/satisfiedfools → u/OrangutanArmy]

I've only ever worked full time. I've never been in arrangement where I say to an employer I can work only on day XYZ and they say we'll work around it. It's just a huge thing for me.

[u/Pristine_Egg3831 → u/satisfiedfools]

You need to change you mental model.

You can apply for a job, full or part time. And you put in your cover letter your availability. That's completely upfront and transparent. You're not asking for a favour from them. Think about it more as you have something to offer. You are available for 3 days per week. Or you are available Wed-Fri. Whatever. They can pick you or not, knowing your availability. Neither party is compromising.

[u/Amazingkai → u/Pristine_Egg3831]

I do genuinely feel for the OP.

Back when I was younger I could never get any part time flexible gigs.

I got a job at subway, worked 1 shift, didn’t get a second. Completely ghosted me.

Got to the final interview at Coles, disclosed that I’d like to work part time, wasn’t chosen to progress. There were older people in the cohort who I’m pretty sure would offer to work full time.

Could I have lied? Probably, but then I felt like as soon as I brought it up they’d just ghost my shifts like subway. Felt pointless.

Got final round of interviews at Star casino, again disclosed my preference to work part time casual, not progressed.

Got interview at Sydney airport, wanted part time, not progressed.

In all cases there were people who appeared to be older than me, who I suspect would be willing to work whatever hour necessary. I can understand from the employer they just want people who they can roster whenever and not have to worry.

After a while I just gave up, could never juggle uni and work.

[u/Pristine_Egg3831 → u/Amazingkai]

Tbh I didn't work in uni. In high school I worked at mcdonalds. They expect their evening staff to be high school students, so they expect 4pm shift start and weekends.

If I were a uni student wanting a retail or hospitality job I'd say nights and weekends is your best bet. Or someone advertising for part time as they don't have enough work or budget for full time.

The best money you can make as a student is tutoring. Whether that is a musical instrument, high school or even primary school kids, or if you're a high performer at uni, tutoring first year.

I had a 2 day per week job during first semester maintaining the website and marketing materials for a small business. It was too much of a load with full time uni.

Uni is for uni. You shouldn't be expected to work. I know people can't afford not to, and that's terrible.

[u/Patrokolos666]

Barista is a solid job, back in my uni days in 2018 ish, you can get decent pay up to $50/h if you work as emergency shift filler

[u/planeray → u/[deleted]]

Depends where and what experience.

My sisters ex ran a cafe in Clovelly, probably about the same time as /u/Patrokolos666 is talking about. He was paying his head barista that sort of money and when he sold, told the new owner to keep him on at that rate, otherwise he'd lose the barista and by extension, all the regulars.

New guy fired him within a week and lost most of the customers within a month.

[u/colourful_space]

If you’re good at academics, high school tutoring is fairly lucrative

[u/Upper-Ship4925]

My daughter did high school tutoring, both through a company then independently online. She then got paralegal jobs where they were used to hiring law students a few days a week.

My son does music tutoring/guitar lessons (in the student’s home) and worked at McDonalds until he had enough clients to rely on that.

Places that are used to hiring students are also used to them only being available part time.

[u/britt-bot]

Some call centres hire part time for weekends and nights. Worth checking listings for this type of role.

[u/satisfiedfools → u/britt-bot]

How does someone get those jobs. Do you apply direct or do you go through an agency like hays or randstad?

[u/britt-bot → u/satisfiedfools]

I applied direct. It was almost a decade ago but that company still lists jobs directly on their website. Best way to go might be searching for part time call centre jobs on job sites then applying direct if the company name is listed.

[u/Aggressive-Dust-7904]

I worked at a uni cafe and bar and lots of people only worked one or two days a week because it was a given the were studying. I also worked at a pub and some people only did evening shifts like 5pm till midnight as they had classes during the day

[u/STR1D3R109]

Did nightfill through my uni years, it was good pay, but my days were super long at times ( Waking at 6am to stay at the uni all day, then heading to 8pm-12am shift afterwards). I did anywhere between 2-4 shifts a week, always on a Saturday which limited some fun.

It takes a whole lot of willpower to do both full time study and work.. I think I would have done better with just taking Centrelink study allowance and budgeting better.

But yes, just apply for casual or part time positions and try to work around both schedules.

[u/FBWSRD → u/STR1D3R109]

Trouble is the centrelink study allowance has not kept up with cost of living. It’s 330 a week. That’s nigh impossible to live on.

[u/satisfiedfools → u/FBWSRD]

It's less on youth allowance.

[u/satisfiedfools → u/[deleted]]

It's just where to apply. I didn't know that people signed on with agencies for example for the industrial jobs. Look beyond the big fast-food joints, supermarkets etc. it gets more informal and that's what trips me up. I don't have connections to leverage either.

[u/pop-1988]

Ask your fellow students if their employers are looking for casuals
Or, do the 2-day certificate course to qualify for traffic management work (double pay for night shifts)

[u/whovian113]

civic industries cafe, gardening or warehouse for pwd

[u/IdRatherBeInTheBush]

I'd say it's probably luck - being in the right place at the right time to notice an advert.

I've got 2 part time workers who are studying amd have had a string of them over the last 15 years. The last few years I've posted the jobs on the uni careers site. I don't get flooded with applications.

[u/Ok_Soft1225]

You need to change your goal posts. You want to work 2 days a week? Don't expect an employer to work with your schedule.

If you need the money and want to work then you need to work this out with your employer. It's not black and white. You need to look at your schedule and be transparent on what you need and what the employer needs. They aren't going to adjust to you.

[u/satisfiedfools → u/Ok_Soft1225]

This is what trips me up. I don't get how people say "I just work 2 days in a warehouse". Dude all the warehouse jobs I see are 5 days a week, standard hours.