Working while studying
Working while studying is necessary for most students, and can help you gain experience. Learn how to find a job.
Most domestic tertiary students should be eligible for some form of income support from StudyLink while they study. While this support can help, it alone will unfortunately not be enough for you to live off. This means most students will need to either work during summer to save for their weekly shortfall, work during the study year to supplement their regular income, or a bit of both. Working as a student not only helps you afford the cost of living, but is also a great way to gain some work experience which will help you once you graduate.
Wellington Careers and Employment
Finding paid work can be tricky, especially if you have never worked before or are new to the city, but the University has an amazing team of dedicated career consultants who can help. They are not only available for one-to-one appointments but have also collated resources that you can use if you would prefer to prepare on your own.
Whether you are looking for summer work, ongoing employment while studying, or ahead to your career after graduating, the Wellington Careers and Employment webpage has links to everything you need to make job-hunting as easy as possible. You will need to log in using your student account to access many of these services.
Careers and Employment services
Help with CVs and cover letters:
- learn the best ways to create CVs and cover letters
- access templates
- self-review your CV using the CV-360 tool.
Assistance with searching for jobs:
- understand the most effective ways to search for jobs
- learn how to network effectively
- develop an ‘elevator pitch’ to use with employers.
Teach interviews and selection skills:
- learn about different types of interviews
- practice interviews using the Interview 360 tool
- practice psychometric tests and other assessments.
Search the NZUni Talent jobs board:
- exclusive job listings that are only available to university students and recent graduates
- these opportunities are exclusive to students from the University
- checked for relevance
- include graduate roles, programmes, internships, part-time student roles, and volunteering.
Resources outside the University
Job hunting
Even if you don’t use Careers and Employment services, there are lots of other ways to go about job hunting. Look for flyers in stores and on noticeboards advertising jobs and vacancies, or check for job ads in newspapers. Visit the websites of organisations you’re interested in to browse available roles.
Many websites allow you to run custom searches on huge databases of employment opportunities. Here are just a few:
Regulations for International students
International students may be eligible to work up to 20 hours per week if they are:
- enrolled in a full-time course lasting at least two academic years
- studying towards a New Zealand qualification that would gain points under New Zealand residence policy
- studying a full-time course to develop English language skills. To qualify, you must have an IELTS (General or Academic Module) overall band score of at least 5.0.
Contact Immigration New Zealand for more information.
You must not undertake employment in New Zealand until you have permission from Immigration New Zealand.