Finding part-time and vacation jobs

How to find part-time and vacation jobs as a student, and information on National Insurance Number and your work rights.

Having a part-time or vacation job is a great way to build experience, develop skills, meet new people and, if English is your additional language, improve your English.

Where to look for part-time and vacation jobs?

Edinburgh is a big city with a wide range of employers offering part-time and vacation work. Some areas where you can find a job include retail, hospitality, social care, education, leisure and the University.

Hear from a student sharing her experience working part time on our Inform.ed blog:

Serving and Studying: Working Part-Time in the Food Industry

MyCareerHub

There are many external job sites you could use for your search. We encourage you to use MyCareerHub as your starting point, as the roles we advertise there have been checked to be suitable for our students.  We add new vacancies daily and check them frequently, so you don’t miss out on a great opportunity. 

You can filter by opportunity type ‘part-time/one-off’ or ‘vacation work’, or search #EdCareersPTJobs to find relevant vacancies.

MyCareerHub

Working for the University

The University is a major employer of student staff in a variety of part-time and vacation roles, and is committed to providing a high-quality employee experience. These opportunities can be fixed term or more permanent, offering flexibility so you can work around your studies.

Typical campus-based opportunities include customer service, student ambassadors, IT support, student callers and administrative roles.

To find these roles, go to MyCareerHub and search ‘On Campus Employment’ in the opportunity type filter.

The Gig economy

The gig economy refers to roles that are short-term contracts and freelance work, not permanent jobs. There are many things to consider for these kinds of roles.

This blog post explains what gig economy is and its pros and cons:

The gig economy – what does it mean for you?

Working during your studies is beneficial and, sometimes, necessary, but it’s important that it doesn’t have a negative impact on your wellbeing and studies.

The University recommends that if you’re a full-time undergraduate or Masters student, you don’t work more than 15 hours per week, and if you’re a PhD student, you don’t work more than 9 hours per week. You can also check with your supervisor to ensure there are no specific restrictions on your work.

Students on full-time taught postgraduate Masters courses don't have a summer vacation. It's worth knowing this as some workplaces will ask if you can take on more hours in vacation periods.

If you often miss your classes or submit coursework late, this will affect your degree. Careful time management and self-discipline are important if you have a demanding part-time job. Brush up on your time management skills using LinkedIn Learning (free for students):

LinkedIn Learning

If you can, reduce your working hours at exam times to cut down on stress.

If you feel you have to work more than the recommended hours because you’re short of money, find out about the Students’ Association Discretionary and Hardship Funding:

Discretionary and Hardship Funding

Student visa holders at the University are permitted to work:

up to 20 hours a week in term time if they are studying for a qualification at degree level or above. This means that their course is at SCQF level 9 or higher
up to 10 hours a week in term time if they are studying for a qualification below degree level
full time outside term time (for study at all levels), which includes in official vacation periods, during assessed and integral work placements, and after completion of course

Find out more about working in the UK if you’re on a student visa from the Student Immigration Service and from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA):

Working in the UK during studies – Student Immigration Service

UKCISA Guidance - Student work

National Insurance Number

If you’re an international student, you will need a National Insurance Number to work. Find out more about it in the next section.

What is a National Insurance Number?

Everyone who works in the UK needs a National Insurance Number (NINO). If you are planning to work in the UK in any capacity, apply for your National Insurance Number as early as you can, as it can take up to 16 weeks to receive it. You can start work without one if your documentation shows you can work in the UK, but you must then apply for one immediately.

The Government uses the NINO to ensure they take the correct amount of National Insurance contributions and income tax from you.

Your NINO looks something like this: AB 12 34 56 C. Your number is unique to you and you mustn’t let anyone else use it.

If you have a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), you may also have been allocated a National Insurance Number, which will be shown on the back of your BRP.

How to apply

To get a National Insurance Number you need to apply online:

Apply for a national insurance number (GOV.UK)

Applying for a National Insurance Number is free, but some Google searches will direct you to websites that charge for this service. These companies do not offer anything other than completing the online application on your behalf. It may also be a way of them harvesting data as you have to provide a lot of personal information. Don't be misled into using these sites - only apply using the link on the GOV.UK webpage, above.

What is income tax?

Everybody working in the UK, including students, must pay tax on anything they earn above £12,570 in the tax year, or approximately £1,047 per month on average. If you earn less than the standard personal allowance of £12,570, you don’t have to pay tax.

However, even if you earn less than this, tax could be automatically deducted unless you:

fill out a Starter Checklist Form (this used to be known as a P46) for your employer (if you have not worked in the UK before or you’re starting an extra job)
give your new employer a copy of your P45 form, which your last employer will give you (if you have worked in the UK before)

Until this information reaches HMRC, your employer may put you on a temporary emergency tax code, which means you will have tax deducted. The tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April.

Student jobs: paying tax (GOV.UK)

Income tax in Scotland (GOV.UK)

If you have paid tax but your total earnings were below £12,570 (your personal allowance), you can claim this back.

Claim a tax refund (Gov.UK)

If you are confused or concerned about an income tax issue, you can get free advice from University of Edinburgh Law School students who are running a tax clinic in partnership with the charity TaxAid. Contact them at taxclinic@ed.ac.uk

Scottish Tax Clinic

If you’re having problems at work, the first thing to do is speak to your line manager or supervisor – many issues can be sorted out with a calm, professional discussion.

If you have done this but the problem is complex, contact The Advice Place which can supply independent and confidential advice on your employment rights.

The Advice Place

If you found the job on MyCareerHub, please let us know at employers@ed.ac.uk. We always welcome feedback on the employers advertising with us.

The following articles summarise some of the main points to be aware of about your rights:

Part-time work - know your rights (Inform.ed, the Careers Service blog)

Full-time student, part-time worker? Know your employment rights (TargetJobs)

The Government website is the place to check for concise and up-to-date information on the following key topics:

Your pay, tax and the National Minimum Wage

Your contract and working hours

Handing in your notice

Redundancies, dismissals and disciplinaries

Your rights at work and trade unions