Working whilst studying at Brighton

• Author: Eva Martin, Pharmacy MPharm, School of Applied Sciences

As amazing as it feels to receive your first student loan drop, and finally be able to buy all the things you want to buy with your own money, the reality is that it doesn’t last forever. Many factors are at play; including your student loan amount, parental or family support, saving, spending, and other personal circumstances, but most students find that their loan alone doesn’t quite cover all of their expenses.

Luckily, in a bustling city like Brighton, there are many places to find student-friendly jobs. Of course, one of the easiest ways is to leverage your previous experience – maybe you worked in a shop, café, or did some babysitting during college or sixth form? But even with no experience, there’s plenty of places in Brighton that will take students on for flexible part-time work. Here are some places to look for work based on jobs I’ve had while studying in Brighton:

* Brighton Bartenders Association jobs

This is a Facebook group created for pubs and bars to advertise bar work and related hospitality work. Employers are aware that Brighton is full of students, so many positions cater to flexible timetables and time off for exams, and there are many cool and quirky pubs and bars in Brighton, which can make for some quite entertaining work. Join the BNBA Jobs closed group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1476367349126855/about/

Here’s me working at Spiegeltent, part of Brighton Fringe, a month-long festival that comes to Brighton every year. I originally got this job through BNBA jobs, but I have since worked at Spiegeltent twice and am planning on working there again next year. It’s a very fun month and there’s lots of perks to working there! 

* The NHS

Brighton has a large teaching hospital called the Royal Sussex County Hospital, that offers many flexible ‘Bank’ positions. While this may be of particular interest to students on healthcare courses, this isn’t necessarily a requirement. Some positions to look out for include catering, housekeeping (cleaning), portering and healthcare assistant. Search the NHS jobs website: https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/ and filter for Band 2 positions to narrow it down.

Here’s me working at the hospital in 2020 in my porter job, wearing a thick mask because it was peak Covid season! Another time I wore scrubs because I forgot to launder my porter uniform (oops!)

* Agencies

By definition, agency work is flexible, and it can be fun to work in lots of new places and meet lots of new people. Agencies exist for many types of work, including hospitality, childcare, and care of the elderly or disabled. A few examples include Search or Hamilton Mayday for hospitality, or Koru Kids for childcare.

* The Amex stadium

A very popular ‘first job’ for students in Brighton is working at the Amex stadium in Falmer on game days. Particularly ideal if you live on Falmer campus so you can save on travel costs! Check for vacancies here: https://www.sodexojobs.co.uk/jobs/search

* Freshers Fair

As well as student clubs and society stalls at Freshers Fair, companies have stalls to advertise their goods and services, and often give out freebies or advertise part time work opportunities to students. Examples include various tutoring services, and some hospitality outlets such as Domino’s Pizza. Come to the Freshers Fair and see what you find!

* Student Ambassador/Students’ Union

Last but certainly not least, working as a student ambassador for the university itself, or working at the various retail outlets that the Students’ Union provides across all campuses, is a great way to make friends with fellow students. Both the uni and the union are aware of students’ needs, so they make sure to allow time off when needed and flexible schedules. Student ambassador work is particularly varied and enjoyable, and can include anything from campus tours and visits, to online work like writing blogs (like this one!), helping to run summer schools for younger students, and so much more. You can pick shifts that interest you and work around your timetable, and there’s no obligation to work any types of jobs you’re not interested in. Look for vacancies on MyStudies or in your email inbox.

Here’s me working in the lab at uni, at my favourite student ambassador job so far: a six week Saturday science club for students in Years 9-11. We had a great time doing all kinds of science experiments – in this picture I was getting very excited about making nylon!

* More part time jobs!

Those are six tips based on my experiences, but this list is by no means exhaustive. Maybe you’re skilled in photography or web dev and can start a freelance side hustle on sites such as Fiverr?

Maybe you speak another language and can offer services in translation? Think outside of the box! And don’t forget to ask your friends where they’re working – word of mouth can be powerful, even in this day and age.

Good luck – but remember: as much as money is enticing, your studies always have to come first!