By Katy Mitchell, a third Year Psychology Student at Victoria University and part time Recruitment Administrator at Student Job Search. In the coming months she will be sharing her thoughts on student life and the job market.
Do you ever feel like that fly that’s flown into a house and no matter how hard it tries, it cannot find the open window to continue its journey?
At times, that’s how it feels to be a student in the current economy. The open window is a successful job application; the journey is your tertiary study.
At the beginning of my second year of university, I decided I needed a part time job to cover my living costs. I wasn’t in the halls anymore, so had to think about things like food, electricity and rent. Random things like buying a couch and a vacuum cleaner also made me painfully aware of how much it costs to have a functioning home.
Luckily, my cohort were in the same boat as me. We all needed jobs but there weren’t many available.
There is a common myth among previous generations of students that there will always be at least one part time job available, young people these days just aren’t applying enough!
A few decades ago, that may have been true! There were so many part time jobs it was just a matter of walking into the pizza place that you liked the most, they probably had a vacancy. These days, a part-time hospitality role in Dunedin with one vacancy dragged in 155 applications in three weeks. With training offered, most applicants would be able to jump right into the role, but one employer in a small hospitality business can’t hire 155 students.
It is incredibly nerve-wracking to think that my application sits alongside 154 others. In my job hunt, I applied to more than 60 jobs. From those, I got 11 interviews, and one part-time job. The whole process of applying, getting interviews, and being accepted and rejected, took about three months.
That’s three months with no income. Constant stress and dejection. I was that fly banging its head against the window.
The fact is, I’m actually incredibly lucky that it only took me three months. With dwindling numbers of part-time jobs there are less chances for students, and more competition for the few roles that exist. With the few jobs that are available, it’s unlikely they will be near you, give you enough hours to cover rent, and suit your university timetable. Not to mention the experience needed. To become a barista, they often want two years of experience. What do you do if you don’t have that experience? Students need more opportunities to grow in their field, gain experience in the workforce, and thrive.
My parents made some of the best memories of their lives during their time at university, and I want to have the same opportunity for exciting experiences. It seems difficult to recreate when most activities cost money.
On top of simply surviving, I’d love the financial freedom to explore Aotearoa New Zealand. This comes with the cost of tramping huts, petrol, gear, and many other things which have exponentially increased in price. For those with a job, these activities fit into the realm of possibility. Students should be able to enjoy life, not just work and study.
Student Job Search (SJS) has been a great resource for me to find jobs, and it makes the application process easy. SJS is particularly great because employers understand that people applying for their roles are students (or recent grads), so employers can offer flexibility.
The roles offer better working situations for students than a typical fixed hours role without any space for study or holidays. Having SJS as a dedicated space for students makes me more confident applying for jobs because I’m not competing with people with decades of experience, just other people who are in the same position as me.
It is incredibly freeing to have an income to support your lifestyle. Whether that be buying concert tickets, a nice pair of sneakers, or affording university, a job helps you experience opportunities that would have otherwise been impossible. Students across Aotearoa massively benefit from job opportunities, they’re incredibly valuable.
You too can stop being the fly banging its head against the window. Head to www.sjs.co.nz and fly out that open window today.