At UCD, students find themselves hunting for the ideal on-campus jobs. Adam Schmitz looks at four such jobs based in the Belfield Campus.
An ideal job for a student is one that allows them to attend lectures, while also enjoying the University experience. The University Observer sat down with UCD students to find out more about on campus jobs. The students interviewed for this article have decided to remain anonymous, however, it is important to note that all the following information is provided by current UCD students, who worked in their respective jobs in semester one of 2024/25 academic year.
UCD Student Centre
Wage: €13.80
The job: The UCD Student Centre is a busy place, and working here requires a few different tasks. Students spend some of their time at the main gym desk where they deal with queries from gym-goers, and hand out towels to members. During other shifts they are responsible for walking around UCD opening and closing pitches booked by clubs. Their responsibilities also include setting up rooms for societies in the student centre.
Flexibility: Students can work between 5-30 hours a week. At the start of each semester the working hours are set to avoid shifts clashing with lectures. Students have the flexibility to add their unavailability in the roster, which is shared two weeks in advance, and are free to reject shifts offered. Swapping shifts is also allowed.
How to get the job: Job openings are communicated by word of mouth, so you need to know somebody already working at the Student Centre. Once the CV is submitted, an interview is scheduled.
UCD Centra
Wage: €13.50
The job: UCD Centra is reportedly one of the most profitable Centras in Ireland. There is no doubt that their amazing student staff is the reason why! It involves similar tasks to every other grocery store, with day to day work consisting of working the till, stocking shelves, checking best-before dates, and scooping ice cream.
Flexibility: Students tend to work between 10-20 hours a week, and students can ensure that these hours don’t clash with lectures. It is possible to alter your availability in case something comes up, and it is quite easy to get shifts to fit around your schedule. Shift swapping is commonplace and has no repercussions.
How to get the job: Centra tends to advertise when hiring. However it can be worth popping in with your CV at any time throughout the semester in case they need extra workers. What is appealing about this job is that it steers away from a traditional interview and gives students a chance to do a short trial shift. This helps both the parties understand the roles and responsibilities that come with the job.
UCD Village
Wage: €13.50
The Job: The responsibilities of this job are multifold, it includes working at the village gym desk and dealing with room bookings within the village. However, the student also acts as a contact for students living on campus and are expected to answer queries on the phone, respond to emails, log maintenance issues and help with accommodation check-ins. It can be a very busy job but provides you with a little inside scoop on how UCD accommodation functions.
Flexibility: In general, shifts are eight hours long, and most people tend to do 2-3 per week. Although you are asked to submit your timetable at the start of the semester, it can be tough to fit such long shifts around lectures.
How to get the job: Hand in your CV and hope for an interview!
UCD Foundation Call Centre
Wage: €13.50 + commission
The Job: Perhaps a rarity for students, this job comes with a full on office job experience. UCD Foundation raises scholarship money for students from underserved areas. As a part of the team, you ring graduates, get some feedback on their time in UCD and ultimately ask them to make a donation towards those scholarships. You work in an office with fellow students and try to hit the foundation’s donation target for the year.
Flexibility: Three shifts are available each day, from 9:30 am until 9:00 pm. You’re free to pick your own shifts each week. Most students choose to work between 6-12 hours.
How to get the job: UCD Foundation sends out an email to all students at the beginning of each term. You fill out an application and attend an interview which includes a mock call.