When I go back to my first year, I remember that the reality check showed I needed a part-time job to cover all of my costs. Money were flying away as it was the year of exploring Worcester, travelling around England, my new home, attending many social events and buying all the books I needed for my course.
After applying for a few jobs in town, getting rejected because I had no previous experience, I saw there was a vacancy at the University. It was for the Student Ambassador scheme, part of the Earn as you Learn programme here at Worcester. Luckily I got the job, I never needed another one and I am still on it, three years later!
So what is Earn as you Learn and why students at Worcester can benefit greatly from it?
Earn as You Learn is a programme developed by the University which provides many part-time work opportunities for students. This way we can earn money while studying, having a wide range of work opportunities.
One of the biggest advantages is that the schemes are really flexible, as they are designed to fit students’ schedules and ensure there is a good study-work balance.
As a student, I can only work part-time so that I have enough time to do everything for my studies. Let’s imagine I was working in a store in town and I had a busy assessment week coming up. If I wanted to get a few days off, my manager wouldn’t be really happy to hear it, as he needs his store running.
Luckily, as a Student Ambassador, one of the main schemes part of the programme, I’ve never had such problems and I was still able to make enough hours. The way it works is that our coordinators send out regular e-mails with work opportunities for the week.
Once I’ve received their e-mailand I am free to do some of the jobs, as simple as it is, I just reply to their e-mail with my availability. Then, on a first come, first served basis our coordinators allocate me a role and all I need to do is just go and do the job!
There are many of us – around 150 and there are still many opportunities to suit everyone’s schedules.
Furthermore, I can select what I want to do. Ambassadors are needed for loads of jobs with the Communications Department. As I have keen interest in Events and PR, I have gained a lot of events management experience and essential communications skills through my work with the Press Office (drafting press releases for example). More over I am working at some really great events at the University and have been able to build up my professional portfolio of press releases and photography.
Also, the pay is really good – £7.60 per hour – jobs in town can hardly beat this rate!
There is also another great scheme with the Outreach team. The job is really interesting as it involves working with schools across Worcestershire.
The roles include being a student mentor, representing the University at Higher Education fairs and many other exciting outreach events.
Also, there are many short-term opportunities to work for other departments at the University.
This includes helping the Sports department with their coaching programmes, supporting Facilities during the summer, helping the Research school conduct their interviews and questionnaires, working with the Students Union and many, many others.
Another great thing is that all roles contribute towards the development and mastering of self-management skills, team work, communication and problem solving skills, as well as understanding of business and customer needs.
Worcester Student Life 