part-time work

​New Year, same beautiful old you. But if you haven’t been working in the past, 2019 could be the year you make your way into the world of work and bag a part-time job.
 
Obvious perk? Cash. You earned it, no one can tell you what you can/can’t/should/shouldn’t spend it on. Want to blow a week’s earnings on a massive Dominos order? Do it. Those chicken strippers will never taste better.
 
(Not that we recommend you make it a regular decision, but if you’re going down this route, remember you get a pretty nice 35% student discount < https://www.dominos.co.uk/blog/students/>)
 
Besides the financial independence though—because what could be nicer than having a few spare pennies to rub together—are all the extra benefits.
 
Like… 

• Building up your CV. Even if it’s just one line of professional history to add to your work experience/volunteering, it’ll make you stand out from the crowd.
  
  
• Giving you the X-Factor (link to blog). This means developing your soft skills like communication, organisation, time management, dedication, teamwork, customer service…
  
  The list is endless, and this is exactly what your future employers and university admissions teams will be looking for.
  
  
• Improving your confidence. Nothing gives you a confidence boost like having to go it alone and do something outside of your comfort zone, something that you don’t necessarily have to do if you’re still living at home with mum and dad, but that you went out and gave 100% to anyway.

 
It doesn’t have to be something you love (or even necessarily like all that much) because unlike a Labrador puppy, it’s not for life. It’s just to fit around your studies and your social life, to give you a bit of extra experience, to build your soft skills and to show you have the dedication to sacrifice a bit of your free time.
 
That’s exactly what employers will be looking for, and it might be what sets you from the crowd when applying for your dream job in the future.
 
Want some more advice on part-time work, or building a killer CV? Have a look at our dedicated sections on the Push site.

Author

LUCY HARDING is the Editorial manager for Push. She is an English Literature grad and an MA Publishing student at UCL. She is passionate about international relations and cultural diversity, having worked closely with her university’s Erasmus society to support European students. She also spent a year abroad studying at California State University: Long Beach