Making your own opportunities
Making your own opportunities
There are a number of other ways to get experience and earn money, most of which come down to using your initiative and being proactive.
Enterprise
Enterprise appointments are available in the Careers & Enterprise centre (phone 0207 882 8533) for students at any stage of developing a business or a business idea:
- If you have a business idea and don’t know where to start
- If you have set up a business and would like some more guidance
- If you need financial support to get your idea up and running
You can discuss anything from initial ideas, marketing strategies to funding applications. For more info, book an appointment of visit the Starting your own business page on the Careers and Enterprise Centre’s website.
Freelancing
If you have skills which can be offered to employers on a casual basis such as writing, tutoring or child minding, freelancing can be a way to earn money flexibly. Often this would mean contacting employers directly. In some cases employers may advertise freelance roles. See the Self-Employment section of this guide to find out more about how this changes your tax and National Insurance status.
Events
Careers events take place throughout the year on a range of topics and include employer workshops and alumni networking events. Attending events are a great way to find out about available opportunities and to get tips on how to succeed in the application process. Keep checking the calendar to stay up to date with the latest careers events at Queen Mary and beyond. To download online copies of our career information sheets click here.
Identifying fake jobs and scams
If a job is offering you the opportunity to earn money quickly, without requiring any skills and perhaps not even inviting you to interview, it could well be a scam. Legitimate employers will never ask you to send them money for set up costs or to make use of your bank account. Looking at company website can help you decide whether the employer is genuine. Does it look professional and up to date? Do they have professional email addresses (rather than a Hotmail or Gmail account) and do they provide details of their office address and phone number?
Other useful sources of help: Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre, Government website with Employment terms and conditions advice, Citizens Advice Bureau
More info
If you would like to book an appointment in our Careers and Enterprise Centre in relation to any of the topics above, give us a call on 0207 882 8533 or visit the centre (WG3 Queens’ Building). For more information on the types of appointment we offer, click here.
Keep up to date with the latest news and information by following us on our Social Media pages:
Twitter: @qmcareers
Facebook: facebook.com/qmcareers
Disclaimer:
Law, regulations and policies can change quickly. The information on our website is given in good faith and has been carefully checked but QMUL cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. QMUL is not responsible for the content or reliability of the linked websites which are provided for further information.
