How to juggle work and study

The average HECS debt was $24,771 in 2021–2022, according to the Australian Taxation Office, up from $23,280 in the previous year.

The need to take on multiple forms of paid work has been steadily increasing since the pandemic as household living costs have surged.

A survey of 1100 university students by Studiosity found that 86 per cent were in some form of paid employment in 2022, up from 78 per cent the previous year.

Demi Kastanos, manager of career services at the University of South Australia, urges students to look for work as early as possible during their studies.

“It’s all about using part-time work while studying, to build valuable employability and transferable skills that many employers look for in potential employees, such as customer service, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, flexibility, initiative, organisational skills, conflict resolution, to name a few,” she says.

Time management

“Students who can showcase their employability using real-life examples from casual or part-time work while studying, will be highly competitive when it comes to applying for graduate jobs or other employment opportunities towards the end of their degree or when they graduate.

“Employers also look favourably on students who can balance study and work commitments because it shows good time-management skills and a willingness to work.”

Robyn Johns, associate dean of academic staff at UTS Business School, says students shouldn’t necessarily hide or dismiss jobs in sectors that are outside their chosen field if the skills are transferable.

“I’ve had students almost too embarrassed to say they work at McDonald’s for instance, but they shouldn’t be,” she says.

“I’ve worked in recruitment and at times I’ve had employers ask me for employees who have worked at places like McDonald’s, where you do develop a range of skills from customer service, teamwork, leadership and handling difficult situations.

“All of these skills are transferable, and students just need to think of the narrative around that when including those jobs in their resume.”

For people aged between 15 and 24 years – the group most likely to be engaged in work and study – the most popular employment sectors overwhelmingly remain retail trade (328,000) and accommodation and food services (357,000), according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data.

Besides retail and hospitality jobs, there are other viable alternatives such as telephone customer service, tutoring, warehouse picking and packing, pet and babysitting, and various clerical roles.

For young digital natives, social media roles for various businesses are also popular for students seeking part-time work.

“With the current demand on skills, many employers are also offering more structured programs to identify early talent, such as paid internships, vacation programs and ongoing casual work in junior early career roles,” Kastanos says.

“For example, a penultimate or final year student could potentially secure a paid internship as a junior support role with a prospective employer.

“Employers use these programs to identify early talent, and in some cases, students secure part-time permanent roles while studying that then lead to graduate or permanent roles once they complete their studies.”

Six tips for students seeking part-time work

1. Before applying for any job, university students must ensure they have an up-to-date resume.
2. Do develop a cover letter (even if you need to use ChatGPT to help you). “It’s important that these documents have been tailored to align with the job responsibilities and even to some extent the employer they are targeting,” Kastanos says.
3. If asked to attend an interview (whether online or in person), prepare and practice your responses to likely interview questions. “This will usually be based on the competencies of the role,” Kastanos says.
4. Get your potential referees ready. They need to be people who can attest to your work, abilities and character.
5. Make the most of university career services teams, who are there to support students with job searches and any preparation.
6. Students should also ensure they have a clean social media presence, as some employers will do an online profile check on potential applicants.