International student Chryso Soteriou studied Nutrition at the University of Surrey. During their studies, they signed up with Unitemps to work alongside university. We spoke to Chryso about the benefits of working as an international student and how working through Unitemps improved their time studying in the UK.
An important part of the academic journey
Having completed my undergraduate degree in Nutrition at the University of Surrey, I can say that Unitemps was definitely an important part of my academic journey. Since I was moving to a new country for the first time, away from my family, I searched for ways I could make my student life more enjoyable and to become more independent, personally and financially.
Finding opportunities through Unitemps is simple
While I wanted to focus entirely on my studies, a part-time job with flexible schedules that does not affect my studying was the ideal situation for me to achieve this goal. I was lucky enough that during freshers’ week, I was advised by final year students to sign up with Unitemps since they offer a plethora of part-time job opportunities inside the University and in the local area. All you have to do is set up an account with Unitemps and turn email notifications on to be alerted of any available opportunities.
I had to prepare my CV and write a few cover letters, which I found was useful training for my placement year and my first professional work experience. I received emails on a daily basis notifying me of available work opportunities in the area. Since I wanted to engage more with the University, I applied to work at open days and applicant days, which involves guiding people around campus, talking to and answering questions from prospective students about the course and the bioscience department in general.
Work that fits around your studies
This year, I worked as a lab demonstrator in the biosciences labs and was very excited to share my full academic and professional work experience I gained from the University. I could not believe how much more I was able to engage with the University, get to know many of my lecturers, interact and communicate with new students and share my experiences while getting paid for my time.
The flexibility of finding work opportunities through Unitemps allowed me to focus on my studies, especially during my fourth and final year where my free time was much more limited, since a dissertation was added to the table.
In the months that I felt I could fit more in my schedule, I applied to work at additional smaller events. For example, last November I worked at a Halloween event located in the Guildford town centre, where I was looking after young children participating in various fun activities. We all need a break from writing reports and reading research papers, so why not wear a fancy Halloween costume and play with kids whilst earning some money!
Once I’d worked at these events, I realised that the University would continue to ask the same team to work on upcoming events through Unitemps. I would therefore recommend that new students who are interested in these positions to sign up with Unitemps and update their CV as soon as possible, so that they do not miss any opportunities. It is really easy to sign up, turn on job alerts and you can find a great part-time job easily. It is a win-win situation since you gain professional experience and earn money while having plenty of time to focus on your studies.
Are you ready to get started with Unitemps? Register with us and take a look at the student jobs we have available.
Last updated on 16 December 2022
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