What to look for in a Part time job as an Architecture Student

Career.

28 Aug

Part time jobs as a university student, more specifically, an architecture student. Now I make the distinction not just because archistudentnotes is for architecture students but because the time and commitment of architecture students is, from my experience different from other university students.

Architecture is primarily coursework based but can also have a lot of contact time in addition to expectations outside of the contact time of architecture studio, seminars and lectures so any part time job needs to work around the time commitments of being an architecture student.

3 very important things to remember below!

Flexible Hours

Being able to choose your hours in the ideal situation for a part time job. It allows you to choose your working hours to fit around your studying or contact time as an architecture student. With choice you can work when life as an architecture student might be a bit quieter and reduce your hours if the architecture student life has got a bit hectic, for example if you are heading towards a deadline.

Jobs that may offer this as an option are should be zero-hour contracts, I would however recommend asking right from your interview how many hours they expect you to work and any repercussions if you didn’t want any hours for a few weeks. Unfortunately a lot of zero hour contracts do not function as they should!

Monotonous Tasks

Controversial perhaps, but if you are not having to think about the work you doing, it frees up your mind to think about your architecture studio projects. Some of your best ideas and inspiration for a new project might come to you when you are not actively studying or thinking about it.

Now to confirm, when I say monotonous tasks I mean folding clothes as a retail assistant, cleaning floors as a cleaner, customer service on a quiet shift - I do not just mean any ‘boring’ job, I mean a job that allows your brain time to think and explore new ways of figuring something out!

Short Shifts

As an architecture student, having a completely free day during term time or even out of term time, especially if you are working towards a deadline is rare. So a job with shorter shift patterns, allows you to fit your paid work in around a lecture or a seminar.

I would recommend shift patterns during/around normal working hours so between, lets say 8am and 8pm depending on your schedule with shifts between 4 and 5 hours long. Plenty of time to make money, plently of time to do your work!