Work experience/opportunities

Hey Folks

Today I received some great news that I have been accepted into a secondary job position as an editor of a charitable organization, who aim is to write articles and promote science & medical professions within schools. The level is mainly aimed at GSCE and A Levels. I am  excited about this opportunity and it has got me thinking about what other secondary roles is possible during your PhD.
Obviously you don't want to do anything extra that hinders your PhD work but you wouldn't mind boosting a bit of your income.

The jobs market is increasingly competitive these days and obvious qualifications/experience may not be enough to land the job you want so badly. Below are a few suggestions from me as to where I think you can gain that bit more of an advantage over others.

Demonstrating opportunities
Most universities will have this opportunity for PhD students to spend 3 or 4 hours demonstrating for undergraduate labs. For some reason, I had this idea before I started doing it of running experiments for undergraduate students while they sit in the labs eating and drinking. The dream seems a bit horrible but in reality, they are a lovely bunch and you can easily chat with them about science (and other things) whilst taking a break from your PhD project and earning a bit of cash.

Universities jobs
Universities are always advertising for jobs, especially over the summer break. Most of them will be working at a bar or at the student union shop. The hours and times are very flexible and most of the jobs are run by former students for students. Jobs can range from working as a temp library staff to more exotic night-time life bar staff. They are generally very good with giving students opportunities so just pop down to your local student job center.

Volunteering Opportunities
For sure volunteering is always look good on your CV. Everyone’s short on time these days, it’s true, but if you are really honest, you’d find that you may be a bit free after all and all you may need is an hour or two on a weekend working on a local charity or community project. It's social but also looks great on the CV. Give it a go!

 Feel free to recommend any other opportunities I have not mentioned.