It doesn’t seem long since we were celebrating the arrival of the new year – but we’re rapidly making our way through 2023 and the weeks seem to be passing so quickly! With the prospect of some warmer weather on the horizon, and the days slowly but surely getting longer, we thought it a good time to share our final batch of frequently asked questions about summer jobs in Oxford, along with their answers!
Having helped a huge number of talented candidates find employment with the leading Oxford summer job providers last year, and with hundreds more signed up to receive our updates for 2023, we like to think we know a thing or two about Oxford’s summer jobs landscape!
We’re delighted to share our third and final batch of FAQs with you, in the hope it will reach and help even more people who are looking for temporary jobs in Oxford in 2023.
Of course, if you would like some bespoke advice or recommendations based on your own situation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – and remember that OSJ is completely free for candidates!
#1. What qualifications do I need for an Oxford summer job?
The qualifications you’ll need for different Oxford summer jobs will of course vary based on each organisation and the kind of position you’re interested in.
There are many roles that don’t require any formal qualifications. For example, student-facing roles with Oxford’s leading summer schools tend to be focused less on the qualifications you’ve achieved on paper and more on the amount of enthusiasm, dynamism and flexibility you can bring to the role. This is what makes Activity Leader and Student Helper roles great for undergraduates or those who have recently finished their school or college studies.
For other roles, such as Oxford summer school teaching jobs, these understandably require qualifications in the subjects you’d like to teach. The leading Oxford summer schools tend to require at least a Bachelor’s degree in the discipline you’d like to teach, and some even require a Master’s degree; however, again, if you show lots of enthusiasm and passion for your subject that will certainly count in your favour.
For administrative roles, again the formal qualifications tend to be less important than your ability to evidence your organisational skills, and generally come across as a diligent, hard-working individual. For some higher-level admin and management roles, you can typically expect to need an undergraduate degree or higher – but again it’s often not essential!
For advice on the right role for you based on your qualifications, skills, personality and experience, please don’t hesitate to register with us!
#2. What lengths of contracts are available (and how much of my summer should I set aside?)
Again, there’s lots of variety here based on the roles and the organisations!
The biggest Oxford summer schools tend to function in two-week ‘sessions’, although others also work on one-week rotations.
In general, the summer schools are looking for candidates who can commit for as much of the summer as possible – this makes sense, as if they have a role that needs filling for 6 weeks of summer, hiring one person for the entire period is much more efficient than making up that six weeks with two, three or even more candidates!
July tends to be the busiest month for the summer schools, so if you’re not able to commit into August, making yourself available for all of July will put you in a great position to secure a role.
If you’re only looking for a week or even two weeks of work, this is a little trickier but not impossible!
#3. I’m not a UK citizen – will I need a visa to work in an Oxford summer job?
Yes – you’ll need to make sure you’ve got the right to work in the UK for the number of hours required by the roles you’re considering taking on.
Different visas entitle you to work full-time, part-time or not at all – and for students the number of hours might be different during term time and during vacation periods.
If you’re not currently in the United Kingdom, and are interested in coming from overseas in order to work for just the summer, it is worth noting that Oxford’s leading summer schools are not licensed visa sponsors for overseas workers.
#4. I don’t have accommodation in Oxford but would like to work in the city – are residential roles available?
The majority of roles available with Oxford’s leading summer schools are non-residential, and so for most positions the hiring organisations will be looking to recruit people who are living in or close to Oxford (or who are willing to commute daily).
That said, there are a small number of residential positions available, especially on the pastoral and activity leading side, where residential supervisors are required to look after students and be available at all times of day. These roles tend to be fairly competitive, so it’s best to get an early application in if you’re interested in one of these positions (we can help you with that!)
So, if you don’t have accommodation available to you, don’t let that put you off! Please get in touch with us and we would be happy to provide you with some advice on Oxford summer jobs that might be available to you, even if you don’t have accommodation.
#5. Are there any opportunities in cities besides Oxford?
Yes, definitely!
Many of the leading organisations that operate Oxford summer schools also have programmes running in other cities of the UK, including Cambridge and London.
If you have accommodation in those cities, or are interested in working with them but would require a residential position, please do get in touch with us and we’d be delighted to help you apply!
#6. What’s the best Oxford summer job for me?
As we’re sure you’ll have seen throughout the course of these FAQs, there is a great deal of variety (and a fair bit of complexity) when it comes to Oxford summer jobs!
Ultimately, the best summer job in 2023 will depend both on your individual circumstances and what you are looking to gain from the summer.
For example, the best summer job in Oxford for undergraduates could be a student-facing activity leading role, which will provide you with a steady income and some great experiences working with international teenagers and as part of a committed team. However, if you’re less of a ‘people-person’ and instead are happier analysing, planning and organising, a role in administration or operations might be the one for you.
If you’re further along in your academic career, then the best Oxford summer job for you may well involve some teaching – and again that will provide you with some valuable experience and training that will help you as you progress towards your ultimate career goal.
Navigating the complexity, and finding the best Oxford summer job for you, can take a bit of time. That’s why Oxford Summer Jobs exists: to help fantastic candidates find the best summer job for them that suits their circumstances!
Summary
During our FAQ series, we’ve certainly covered a lot of ground – from accommodation to pay to visas to the hiring organisations themselves!
As mentioned in the previous point, there’s certainly a lot of variety, and finding something that’s a neat fit for your personality, experience, goals and ambitions can be a time-consuming challenge.
As experts in the field, we know the Oxford summer jobs landscape better than anyone! We would be delighted to help you simplify your search; to get started, simply complete our form here.
We can’t wait to work with you!
Oxford Summer Jobs 