How to Get a Part-time Job as an International Student (Part 1)
Photo courtesy of Steven Depolo (Flickr)
If you are an international student who has just arrived in the host country, one of the first things you may do is look for a part-time job. But has it ever occurred to you that you could be one among thousands who apply for part-time vacancies?
The UK, for instance, welcomed well over four hundred thousand new students in 2014-15. So, how do you stand out in a crowd? One way is to make sure you have enough employability skills – abilities that make a person productive at work.
Here are some that employers look for:
- Communication skills
The ability to express ideas and views clearly is extremely important, especially in customer-facing jobs. If someone doesn’t have sufficient language skills, they may sound impolite or unfriendly to a customer. Of course, no business would want to hire such an individual.
- Customer service
Many part-time jobs require you to interact directly with customers. This usually involves answering questions, getting them to buy something, dealing with complaints, etc. Only individuals with good communication and problem solving skills may be able to offer great customer service, and those are the kinds of people that companies want to recruit.
- Time management
This skill is all about developing methods to manage your time well at work, balancing various demands of the job. Most people who have it prioritise their work – they focus on urgent tasks first before moving on to other less important work.
- Numeracy
Whether you work in a shop, restaurant, or pub, it is essential to be good with numbers. Staff in such businesses use numeracy skills in a number of ways, right from giving customers the correct change to checking stock.
Remember, just adding these skills to your résumé alone won’t help; if required, you’ll have to prove that you actually possess them.
GLOSSARY
| host country | ||
| Form | : | noun |
| Meaning | : | a country where foreign students go to study |
| Example | : | The UK attracts more international students each year than any other host country. |
| occur to (someone) | ||
| Form | : | phrasal verb |
| Meaning | : | to come into the mind |
| Example | : | When they spoke of pizzas, it occurred to her that she hadn’t eaten all day. |
| stand out | ||
| Form | : | phrasal verb |
| Meaning | : | to be noticed easily |
| Example | : | Melvin is so tall that he stands out in a crowd. |
| customer-facing | ||
| Form | : | adjective |
| Meaning | : | dealing directly with customers |
| Example | : | If customer-facing staff are friendly, people usually have a great shopping experience. |
| numeracy | ||
| Form | : | noun |
| Meaning | : | the ability to do basic mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, etc. |
| Example | : | Numeracy is one of the most important skills that children learn at school. |