A record number of students had applied for part-time and holiday work with Student Job Search this year. Photo / Getty
A record number of students had applied for part-time and holiday work with Student Job Search this year. Photo / Getty
Summer jobs for students provide independence, teach work ethic and pay a bit of holiday cash. Around 12,000 people find work from November to February through Student Job Search, more still through community Facebook pages, job sites and direct approaches to employers. KIRSTY WYNN looks at who hires them and what jobs give the best buck for effort.
School's out for summer - so too university. But while many young people enjoy a well-earned break from study, not all of them want or can afford to.
The good news is there's plenty of opportunity to earn while you don't learn. Here are some options, and what they typicallypay per hour.
Retail: Minimum wage ($18.90) - $22
Retail is usually the go-to for students, with the Christmas rush and big stores hiring staff to fill shelves, work checkouts and fill online orders.
Covid has had an impact, though, with big stores taking on fulltime workers displaced from other industries.
Big retailers such as Kmart, Farmers and supermarkets usually have additional holiday staff until the first week of January, said Christopher Walsh from Money Hub.
Christopher Walsh from Money Hub said job-seeking students should follow the crowds. Photo / Supplied
"Covid is at work here though and I've heard a few stores that readily employed students are now hiring more permanent staff," he said.
"The fulltime staff tend to be a bit more reliable and don't call in sick on Saturday morning."
Marisa Bidois from the Restaurant Association said there were plenty of jobs for students, with many offering flexible hours in fun and social environments.
"Our industry is still in need of people and many of our members are struggling to find help over the busy season," Bidois said.
Job boards on the Restaurant Association Facebook page were updated frequently, she added.
Suzanne Boyd from Student Job Search believed some hospitality employers were still worried about customer numbers amid the rolling impact of the pandemic.
"We have noticed employers are a bit concerned with offering the hours they did pre-Covid. We are definitely seeing Covid's impact."
In the wider industry, all the major fastfood chains were hiring in the lead-up to Christmas, with shopping areas facing hordes of extra customers.
Although many shoppers will ease off once the sales are finished, there's a relatively high turnover of staff in fastfood, and likely decent opportunities.
Office and education: $25 - $45
Boyd said some of the biggest earners cover people taking leave.
Engineering, accounting and office admin roles are well-paid and a good chance for students to get a taste of an industry they might like to work in.
Tutoring roles, which can continue year-round, can earn around $37 an hour.
But the biggest money is in internships.
"We have placed interns at banks, doing graphic design work and as tutors, and some earn more than $45 an hour," Boyd said.
"There are staff members who head off on holiday and a student might fill the role and get some really valuable experience."
Fruit picking: $18.90 - $20
The fruit industry is desperate for workers, despite a deal that will see 2000 pickers arrive from the Pacific between January and March.
The work can be physically hard, with workers bent down picking or carrying bags that can weigh 20kg, but it pays.
Boyd said there had been a huge focus on getting students into horticulture roles with the Pick This Pick That campaign.
The fruit-picking industry was desperate for seasonal workers. Photo / Getty
"I don't think students have thought about fruit picking before but we have just put 100 through for jobs."
Walsh said the minimum wage pay had put some people off.
Jobs online were typically advertised at between $18.90 and $20 an hour. The roles that will be filled with workers from the Pacific have been set by the Government as paying the living wage of $22.10 an hour.
"I worked fruit picking for a season in Queenstown and it is hard work," said Money Hub's Christopher Walsh.
"Backpackers often don't want to do it because it is hard and you're not paid what it is worth. Central Otago in 37 degrees and blowing winds - you need to be paid more."
Odd Jobs: Minimum wage - $38
One-off or short-term jobs such as house cleaning, garden maintenance and landscaping are more common outside peak summer.
But Boyd said you might find something in this field during the holiday period.
Beware the bad boss
New Zealand has no minimum age for employment, but there are rules around the times young people can work and the types of work they can do.
Most businesses have a minimum age policy of 16 but will employ younger people in certain situations.
By law, people under 16 cannot work before 6am or after 10pm. Work must not prevent or interfere with school attendance
People under 15 cannot work in a factory or place where things are being prepared or made for sale; on a construction site; in a forest where trees are being cut down or processed; or in any area where the work being done may harm the employee.
There is no minimum wage for people under the age of 16.
"Student Job Search requires all employers registered with us to sign a declaration that they will behave in ways that are safe, provide a safe workplace and treat people respectfully," Boyd said.
Students are also encouraged to look at employment law online and ask for help if needed.
Nectarine thinning and irrigation: Lilian Coumbe, 19
Working outside and the availability of long hours were drawcards for Lilian Coumbe.
The health psychology student at Victoria University in Wellington works each summer to save for rent and other living costs.
"I prefer not to work when I am studying so was looking for something that gave me good hours," she said.
"Also, I was inside for my last job so wanted to be outside in the fresh air these holidays."
Fruit thinning - removing excess or damaged fruit to improve the size and quality of what's left - is a rite of passage for most living in Hawke's Bay and surrounding areas.
"Everyone knows someone who has an orchard or has picked or thinned fruit at some stage," Coumbe said.
"I don't think it's that hard physically, but it is long hours."
This summer, Coumbe will live at home with her parents and head to work for a 7am start, finishing about 4.30pm.
"My last job was waitressing but I couldn't get the hours I can picking."
The work is weather-dependent though and there is no pay when it rains.
Young entrepreneur: Amelie Coggan, 15
Amelie Coggan, 15, started her small business making clay figurines as a hobby. Photo / Supplied
Facebook, Instagram and other platforms have paved the way for budding entrepreneurs to start a business before leaving school.
They usually involve something creative - from homemade candles and soap to Covid-inspired masks.
Amelie Coggan's business Little Joys started as a fundraiser. The Christchurch student sold the clay charms to fund a school trip to France.
The trip was cancelled because of Covid, but Amelie kept making the trinkets, each with a message offering inspiration during the pandemic.
Before New Zealand entered lockdown Amelie was selling her charms, encased in little glass jars, in local stores.
Courage Bunny - A creation by Amelia Coggan, 15, and her business "Little Joys" Photo / Supplied
When physical shops had to close, she put them online.
"This really took off when we did a post on the Facebook page Chooice," Amelie said. "Now we are on Instagram and Facebook and we have almost 6000 Facebook followers."
Since lockdown, Amelie has filled more than 900 online orders.
Each piece takes anything from 10-30 minutes to make.
"I also have to take time to come up with the messages on the labels which can take a while depending on whether I'm in the mood to be creative," she said.
"I usually just spend a while thinking of new ideas that will help people struggling with mental health issues."
Amelie has made changes to her product as her business has grown, including swapping glass jars for plastic jars for the safety of smaller children.
"I would love to expand my range of products and come up with more higher-value products to sell so that I can make a living out of this," she said.
"I am so lucky that my favourite hobby has turned into my way of making money."
