part-time job opportunities for students in manchester
okay so here's the deal with manchester and student jobs. i moved here last september thinking i'd land something easy, but man, the competition is wild. according to the office for national statistics, manchester's youth unemployment rate sits around 11%, which isn't terrible, but it's not a cakewalk either. rent? average student room in fallowfield is about £500-600 pcm, and if you want to be closer to the uni, expect to pay more. that's why i needed a part-time gig fast.
i started with hospitality-bars, cafes, that whole scene. the northern quarter is packed with indie coffee shops like north tea power and odd or just, but they mostly hire through word-of-mouth. i learned that the hard way after sending 20 cvs and hearing nothing. then i tried delivery gigs-uber eats, deliveroo-which are flexible but brutal on your bike in manchester's classic sideways rain. still, you can make £8-12/hour depending on tips and rush hours.
retail is another option. arndale centre and trafford centre have loads of student-friendly hours, especially in places like primark or h&m. i heard from a flatmate that she gets staff discounts plus extra shifts during xmas, which helps. but the downside? standing all day kills your back, and the pay is minimum wage (£7.50 if you're under 18, £8.20 if you're 18-20).
now, if you're into something less physical, tutoring is huge here. with four universities, there's always someone needing help. i tutor gcse maths on weekends-£15/hour through tutorful-and it's way better than bar shifts. plus, you can do it from your room in your pjs. win.
here's a quick table i threw together based on my own hunting and some local forums:
| job type | avg hourly pay | flexibility | best areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| hospitality | £8-11 | medium | northern quarter, city centre |
| delivery | £8-12 | high | citywide |
| retail | £7.50-9 | low-medium | arndale, trafford centre |
| tutoring | £10-20 | high | online/remote |
one thing i didn't expect: manchester's creative scene offers weird little jobs. i met a girl who got paid to hand out flyers for club nights at factory international-£6/hour plus free entry. another guy i know does market research gigs for £10-15 pop-up studies around deansgate. they're irregular but pay well when they come up.
weather here is a mood killer though. it's february, and it's been grey for weeks. when it's not raining, it's windy enough to steal your umbrella. but hey, the peaks are only a 45-minute train ride away if you need a breather. and liverpool's just 1h by train if you fancy a change of scene.
overheard in a flat party: "don't bother with those 'work from home' ads on facebook, total scams." and from a barista: "if you want a job at a decent cafe, just hang out there enough that they remember your face. works every time."
so yeah, manchester's got options, but you gotta hustle. and maybe learn to love the rain.
*external links:*
- check manchester's student job board on gumtree
- see what's up in the northern quarter
- get the latest on manchester weather from met office
- browse part-time gigs on indeed manchester
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