Currently in education and looking to secure that all important part-time role around your studies to earn £££’s AND gain valuable experience?

There are a number of Isle of Man businesses able to offer a range of paid part-time work around your school or college hours.  In addition to developing your confidence and future employability skills, your work experience can help you to decide what you may – or may not – want to do in the future, while making useful contacts and earning a little extra money at the same time!

So how you do go about finding who is recruiting and for what roles?

Research:

To find part-time work, you need to start with your research.  Think about the type of work you’d maybe like to try or work you think you would enjoy, and ask yourself the following questions:

About you

• Do I want to work face-to-face with customers, or would I prefer to work behind the scenes?

• Would I prefer to work alone or as part of a team?

• What skills can I bring to an employer?  Think about areas you may be good at in school or college which may be of help to a business.  These could include numeracy, communication, organisation and planning, customer service, physical activities.

• What personal qualities do I have?  Are you always early/on time, tidy and reliable?  Are you a hard worker, who likes to complete tasks?  Are you pro-active and would you seek out work and additional tasks?  Do you have great attention to detail or spot something out of sync?  Do you enjoy speaking with people and helping to solve problems? Do you take responsibility perhaps in a school team or in looking after family?  Have you undertaken any fundraising or volunteered in the past? 

If you find it difficult to drill down on your own skills, it can be a great idea to ask friends and family how they would describe your personality and what you are good at (or have the potential to be great at!).

About the work

• What hours and days can I, and would I, like to work?

• What industry would I like to work in?  Typical work at this stage may be in retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism, and businesses providing local services.  Think shops, cafes, petrol stations, newspaper deliveries, local attractions – busy outlets in your local community offering a paid service.

• What type of work could be available?  Duties could include deliveries, customer service, stock replenishment, till work, cleaning, food and beverage service, animal care, general maintenance.

• Flexibility – whilst your dream job may not present itself at this point, every role can be an opportunity to learn skills and gain experience, which can help to shape your preferences and future aspirations.  Be prepared to undertake work in jobs or sectors you may not have considered.

• Know where you would love to work?  If you have identified an industry of business you’d love to work in, find out who you would need to speak with, prep your CV and approach and get in touch!         

Word of mouth

The Isle of Man has a great community, and speaking with those you know can be a good first step.  Think about speaking to :

• Family
• Friends and friend’s parents
• Teachers and careers advisors
• Local businesses you may know/use and like
• Businesses you know who already employ students within their workforce

Effective networking often starts with people you know.  Anyone who knows you may be well-placed to advise you and even be prepared to recommend you to a business or make an introduction, which can provide a real advantage when it comes to securing your first job; they may even have a job for you directly or know of a relevant business who is recruiting. 

Online media

• Social media – Facebook and in particular local jobs groups can be a great source of info to understand where there could be job openings.  Before making any connection or comments, make sure you have a clear outline of what you would like to do, and what you can bring to any employer. 

Our own FB jobs group with over 16,000 members enables job seekers to post directly and employers to advertise roles - Paragon Community Group (if you are under 16 you will need a responsible adult to post on your behalf).

• Online Job Portals – check out the Isle of Man Job Centre and Locate.im, filtering your search by part-time. 

• Websites - check out the careers pages of any businesses which are of interest to you.

Local resources

• Local press - newspaper classifieds and vacancies sections; traditional media can be a valuable source of information. Isle of Man Today feature job advertisements in their Classifieds section.

• Notice boards – supermarkets, libraries, shops, schools, University College Isle of Man and village squares have notice boards where jobs are often advertised.

• Newsletters – does your area have a regular newsletter?  Keep a look out for any ‘situations vacant’.

Make the right impression!

• Introduce yourself - unsure of how to introduce yourself or outline your skills and aims?  Here’s our guide to creating your ‘Elevator pitch’ – a step-by-step guide to crafting your own personal introduction, along with other useful job search info - Paragon Career Centre  This can also be adapted and used in your personal profile, or when asked ‘tell us about yourself’ in an interview!

• Create a knock-out cv – your CV is an important tool when applying for jobs.  It should include your personal details, education, any past work experience, skills, and references if possible.  If you are applying for your first role, focus on your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work.  In addition to our CV and interview guide, Paragon provides a free online job template, to help you to craft your first cv ready to build on - Paragon CV Builder

• The approach - a compelling cover letter, email or conversation can set you apart from other applicants. It’s an opportunity to explain why you're interested in the role and how your skills and experiences make you a good fit. Check out our Paragon Cover Letter tips within our Career Centre.

• Make it personal – by putting in the effort to find out who you need to speak with and adapting your application for the person, their business, and the role, you have an opportunity to demonstrate your interest and enthusiasm, which can in turn help you to stand out for the right reasons.

In conclusion, finding part-time work on the Isle of Man while still in education can be challenging, but it's definitely achievable.  Utilise the resources available, be proactive, and don't get discouraged if you don't immediately land a job. Persistence is key.

Good luck with your Isle of Man job search!