What can you expect from the different types of Oxford Summer Job?

The timetables of the top Oxford summer schools are absolutely packed with a huge range of activities. And to deliver such a variety of activities – as well as to ensure the safety and academic benefit of the students – they need a wide range of people, skills and personalities across a number of different roles. Read on for our three factfiles covering the typical things you should know when thinking about the roles you want to apply for in 2024.

The leading Oxford summer schools are looking to fill a variety of temporary summer jobs, in order to ensure their programmes are successful, and to ultimately send their customers and students home feeling like they’ve received value for money.

But with such a range of roles available, how do you know which might suit you best? And what are the key differences and expectations for candidates?

To provide you with some answers, we’re pleased to provide three factfiles of the key types of Oxford summer job, to give you some insight and help you make the right choice for you and your summer job in 2024. Note that the details of each role will vary by provider, and these are intended only as a general high-level guide from which you can work.

Read on for the factfiles! And remember – if you need further assistance in finding your Oxford summer job in 2024, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us using the form at the foot of the page.

Teaching roles

When people think of an Oxford summer job, a teaching job is probably the place their mind goes to first. It’s not the only role, but it is certainly among the most important, and the one that could have the most impact on the students in terms of their desired career or university trajectory. See below for our factfile on what to expect from a typical Oxford summer teaching job.

Length of commitment: Flexible – between 2 and 6 weeks.
Hours per week: 15-20
Days of work: Monday-Friday
Pre-requisites: Usually a Master’s degree in the subject you would like to teach or a related discipline, or a PCGE. English language teaching qualifications for EFL teaching.
Training provided: Varies by provider, but typically one week if you do not have a teaching qualification.
Responsibilities: Classroom teaching and tutorials, marking and assessment of assignments, writing reports. Some summer schools may ask you to prepare the course, too – although typically a ‘teach what you like’ approach is generally only found at the smaller summer schools.
Support provided: From Course Director or other senior staff member
Perfect for: Master’s students finishing this summer, DPhil candidates, newly-qualified teachers, established teachers, those with a CELTA or equivalent (for EFL).

Please fill out our teaching form here if you would like some assistance finding an Oxford summer teaching job.

Activity Leader / Counsellor roles

A summer job as an activity leader or counsellor in Oxford is a fantastic way to earn money, build skills, meet lots of interesting people and (occasionally) hang out in the sun on campus and in the city.

Length of commitment: 2 – 6 weeks (often the longer, the better)
Hours per week: 40+ (with possibility of overtime)
Days of work: 7 days a week (with at least one day off)
Pre-requisites: None
Training provided: Yes – you should expect to be trained in how to work with young people!
Responsibilities: Registering students, making sure they know where they’re going, running sports and activities.
Support provided: Yes, from senior counsellors and senior staff (Course Director)
Perfect for: Undergraduate students, recent graduates, those between careers
Other: You’re going to get to see and do an awesome variety of things, and build a great range of skills – read more here about activities you’ll get to do as an activity leader.

Administration roles

As an Administrator at one of the leading Oxford summer schools, you’ll play a key role in the successful running of a campus. See our factfile below for what you could expect.

Length of commitment: 4 – 6 weeks over summer, with potential for an earlier start to commence activity planning
Hours per week: 50+
Days of work: Monday – Sunday (with at least one day off per week)
Pre-requisites: None
Training provided: You should expect a variety of training – typically around processes and systems but also in customer service, first aid and more.
Responsibilities: Running the campus from an administrative point of view, including liaison with colleges and teaching sites, booking and assigning bedrooms, classrooms and meals, ensuring activities are assigned to activity leaders, staff rotas, etc
Support provided: Yes, from Course Director and Head Office team
Perfect for: Recent graduates, those with administrative experience

Summary

With such a range of roles on offer, there’s an Oxford summer job to suit everyone’s skills, personalities and experiences. We hope you have found our short factfiles useful for a general guide on what to typically expect when approaching any of these job types!

At Oxford Summer Jobs, we’re the experts in finding the right candidate for the right role in Oxford’s busy summer job market. If you’d like assistance with finding an Oxford Summer Job in 2024, you can get started by filling out the form below!