Here is how to find part-time work as a student in Brighton

As student life can quickly become expensive, a part-time job always comes in handy to pay for bills, rent, living expenses and nights out. That is why we have put together a useful guide to finding part-time work in Brighton and understanding legal work restrictions for foreign students.

The legal side of things

Firstly, any UK and EU national is allowed to work in the UK while international students who posses a Tier 4 visa will encounter work restrictions such as not being allowed to work more than 10 or 20 hours per week during term-time, including unpaid work and 'on-call' hours, though they are allowed to work full-time during vacation. These students also are not allowed to work if they withdraw from their studies temporarily or permanently, or register as self-employed.

Note that the university advises students not to work more than 15 hours a week for undergraduates, and 20 hours a week for postgraduates.

That said, if you want to work in the UK you will need a UK bank account, a National Insurance Number (NIN), as well as proof of identity. You will also have money deducted from your salary for income tax and national insurance regardless of status.

Income tax is simply your contribution to the government, however if you earn less than £11,500 a year you will be exempt from this tax. National insurance is your contribution to be eligible for some state benefits such as state pension, allowances, etc.

You can start work if you do not yet have a National Insurance Number (NIN), but in this case you will have to apply for one straight away. To do so, you will need to call Jobcentre Plus, answer their questions and set up an appointment with your local Jobcentre.

During the appointment, you will need to bring proof of identity, of your student status, and of your address. A few weeks later, they will send your national insurance number directly to you via letter. UK nationals should have automatically received their NIN when they turned 16. You can apply for a NIN here.

In the United Kingdom, the minimum wage depends on your age. Between 18 and 20 years old, you are entitled to a minimum of £5.60 an hour. Aged 21 to 24, it is £7.05 and over 25, it is £7.50 minimum per hour. Some places might pay better than others, but every employer must pay you at least minimum wage.

You can find out more about your legal rights to work in the UK over here.

When you apply for a part-time job, you will usually need a skills-based CV as well as a covering letter to show your motivation to work for the employer. If you pass an interview successfully, the employer will be likely to ask you to come in for an unpaid trial shift which tends to last two to four hours to make sure you're the right person to hire.

Now, where can you apply for and find part-time jobs in Brighton?

Well, firstly we would advise you to check out all of the universities' websites and events to help you with your applications, meet companies during fairs and so on.

The first thing you can do is regularly check the Students' Union website for jobs on campus, working for the SU. Then, you can also attend the Careers and Employability Centre's events and workshops to give you opportunities to network and help you with your CV. Note that you can either drop in anytime during their opening hours for help, or you can book a place to attend their workshops through the CareerHub. This online hub is also a great place to start looking for part-time jobs from home if you don't know where to start as all the jobs advertised pay minimum £7.50 per hour and the application can take a while but is rather easy.

The Career and Employability Centre will hold its first 'Finding part-time work' workshop on Monday September, 18th from 1:30pm till 2pm in their corner in the library, and their 'CVs for part-time work' workshop on Tuesday September, 19th from 11:30am to 12pm at the same location.

Later this month, there will be the Careers Marquee from Monday September, 25th until Friday 29th in Library Square. It is open to all years, and consultants will be there to help you out with anything you need. On Thursday September, 28th bring a CV with you as the first Part-Time Jobs Fair will take place in Mandela Hall, Falmer House from 12pm to 3pm, where you can expect to meet different companies' representatives who you can chat to and directly apply to jobs through them.

Finally, on Wednesday November, 8th the Careers Fair will be held at the AMEX stadium and you might not find part-time work there, however it is a good way to network with several companies and organisations to find internships, volunteering opportunities, graduate schemes, etc.

If you'd rather search for jobs online first, you can check a few websites such as The Argus, Brighton & Hove Jobs, Churchill Square, Friday Ad, Wired Sussex, Gumtree, Indeed, and you can find more on the list of websites advertised on the university's list.

Keep in mind that for retail and hospitality jobs in particular, going to the shop and handing your CV directly to a manager might be a better strategy as you will appear more motivated to find a job and they get to meet you, unless the shop only deals with online applications first.

In town, you can find plenty of places to work in retail and hospitality at Churchill Square, the Marina, in the Lanes and North Laine, North and West Street, at the Pier, and on the seafront as these places are filled with restaurants, hotels, cafés, pubs, retail stores, vintage stores, supermarkets, clubs (for promoter jobs especially), cinemas, the list goes on. The downside is that many of these places tend to privilege those with experience over those who've got none.

If you're only looking for extra money here and there, you will often find papers scattered across university buildings with contact numbers to apply for being a test subject for lab experiments and other research projects, this can be fun and you will be rewarded with free meals at times, or usually cash in hand.

We reckon you've now got all the information you need to find a job, so find some motivation, drop CVs everywhere and get those coins flowing.