Guest Blog Interview with Oliver Bell (final year student at Heriot Watt University)
Oliver
Bell (22), 2017 graduate of Heriot Watt University, talks to Levitate
Student about his experience of working alongside his course.
Levitator -
What are your thoughts on the importance of working alongside your course?
Oliver - Whether you have had a job prior to university or not it
is of vital importance to continue or start working while at university. As
well as building lots of transferable skills that your future employers will
look for once you complete your degree. Also it is a great way to meet new
people, especially if you are living away from home.
Ideally it is best to find a job that suits your
schedule, having a job at university that takes up too much of your time will
hinder both your social and academic components of your time at university. It
is good to look at what the university has to offer internally. Jobs such as
being a student ambassador rarely require any prior work experience and usually
pay above minimum wage level.
Shifts will not be regular but it’s a good way to fund some of those nights’
outs during term time.
Levitator - Did the tutors guide against working? Or did they make
suggestions about a max number of hours? In my experience tutor recommend no
more than 16 hours per week - what do you think to those guidelines?
Oliver - I think it is advised at Heriot
Watt, as it is more of a modern
institution, that it is best to have a balanced university lifestyle. It does
not have to be paid work as there are roles in societies
Levitator - Did you find work yourself or did you get help from others, did
the university offer a jobs service to help students find work - did you or
anyone you know use it?
Oliver - Yes they do. They have their own jobsite search area and a
careers service which I have attended but I did not find any jobs I was interested in that way, I found my own opportunities.
Levitator - Are there any opportunities, that you were aware of, to work
for the university - as a student ambassador for example?
Oliver - Yes there is, there are student ambassadors and everyone gets
an email in their class school about the opportunities. There are also class
reps. Also within societies as a coordinator this is also a paid opportunity.
Levitator - Did you work in holidays or alongside your course or both?
Were your hours fixed or was it flexible.
Oliver - I have done all of them, and a mixture of the two. My hours
have been flexible for many student ambassador roles. But had a fixed role
working weekends in one of my semesters
Levitator - Did you feel you had to work in order to afford to be a
student or chose to in order to make it more manageable or to simply build up
your funds?
Oliver - I think it is important to manage your funds which puts less
pressure on having to work. But it is good to have a break from studying and
actually be in a workplace....even if it is just a café. Plus, adding to your
funds is always a bonus!
Levitator - Did you choose to work to build up experience for your CV?
Oliver - The student ambassador roles were more to build up experience
on my CV displaying more of an individual role, where many of the ideas are my
own and building a team that I would work alongside. But as well as this
working in café’s and other high street and more ‘typical’ student jobs are
just as important in terms of the transferable skills that you can develop.
Levitator - what were the advantages/disadvantages of working alongside
your studies?
Oliver - When working weekends, I found that there was pressure to do
a lot of my studying and coursework during the week, as after getting in from
an 8-hour shift there just is not the motivation left to then sit down and do
some studying.
It is good for the networking side and meeting more people, and
developing different circles of friends.
As long as you use a diary it should be good to plan a Zero-Hour Contract around your social and study
activities. Just be organised and plan ahead
Levitator - Did you have any problems with understanding your tax/payslip
- did you get any help with these matters if so who?
Oliver - Nope it was all fine, but I did ask my parents advice on a
few matters (cannot remember them at the moment) But maybe that is just me. I’m
sure your bank or student services at the university would be able to help with
this.
Oliver concludes - My advice to all students no matter what year, it is really
important to be proactive outside of your studies. University is an experience
not just an education. Join societies do things that you are interested in and
do not be afraid to do something different. But also remember it is usually
never too late to participate in a lot different things. For example, missing
football trials, contact someone at the club and see if you can attend training
or a 7-a-side session. If you do not like it then that is perfectly normal - go
and try something else!
There are so many opportunities that university life brings so
do not miss out.
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