Top Ten Summer Jobs 2023 Edition – MoneyMagpie

Vicky


4th Jul 2023

Reading Time: 12 minutes

The sun is blazing and the summer holidays are just around the corner. For many people the summer brings with it the need to pick up summer jobs. Whether it’s to gather some much-needed holiday pennies, to fill a gap between other work or just to do something different during this most sunny of seasons.

Thankfully, there are plenty of summer jobs available around the UK, from the relatively easy to the more challenging, but all will get you out of the office, away from the shops and into a new adventure. So here’s our roundup of ten ways you can gain employment this summer.

Picking Jobs is a useful website where you can put in a search for fruit picking in Europe and see what’s available. Anywork Anywhere has a similar set-up and can be used to search for all kinds of other seasonal jobs both here and abroad. When you see a job that interests you, email the employer directly giving a few basic details about yourself and the dates you can do. 

You’ll be working outside so wear old casual clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. You may be standing in fields for hours on end so comfortable shoes are a must. You’ll also need a hat and some sun cream so you don’t get burnt. Insect repellent is a good idea, and make sure you drink plenty of water. 

Earnings are likely to be cash in hand and if you earn enough you will be expected to take care of all your own taxes. It’s unlikely you’ll make a lot of money here so you may not exceed your personal income allowance. For this year, the personal allowance is £9,440 and £10,500  for people aged 65–74. 

You’ll typically be paid minimum wage: 

•  £9.18 per hour for workers aged 21 and 22; £9.50 for workers 23 and over
• A development rate of £6.83 per hour for workers aged 18–20 inclusive 
• £4.81 per hour for all workers under the age of 18 who are no longer of compulsory school age 

Depending on the farm you’re working for, you might be paid hourly or daily, but sometimes you’re paid according to the amount you pick (e.g. you get x amount per kg or pound). This system is called ‘piecework’ and it’s fruitful (sorry) for those who work particularly hard.  

Festaff supplies casual staff for over a dozen music festivals in the UK including Bestival, Creamfields, Wickerman, Camp Bestival, Isle of Wight Festival, Sonispshere, Rockness and Beachdown. Some of these are currently recruiting, so if you’re interested fill out their application for summer positions. 

Delaware North Companies Ltd (DNC) runs a food and catering service at both Wembley Stadium and Emirates Stadium. They provide full training for all the roles and job vacancies range from bar staff to sous chef. See the Hospitality Staff website for full details on DNC job profiles and how to apply. 

Jam Staffing employs people for events all over the UK – they’re looking for waiters/waitresses, security staff, models and much more. You can apply through their website. 

For something a bit different, how about mobile catering with MJR Tom? This involves walking around events at stadiums, football clubs and racecourses. You will then sell whatever it is you’re told to. 

TripAdvisor and Google – both of those are useful ways to get business in for free. 

Trustedhousesitters you can expect to earn just less than two hours’ pay per day at the minimum wage. You’ll also be given an allowance for food and reimbursed for any travel costs. For pet-focused housesitting, the national agency Animal Aunts looks for people who can look after pets in all areas. 

If you’d prefer to do it off your own back, advertise yourself in the local paper or on Gumtree, making sure you include the fact that you can provide personal references if required. 

Depending on the arrangement you have with the homeowner you may have to commit to staying in the house for a certain proportion of the day. This is an opportunity to catch up on reading, writing, knitting or even a spot of paperwork. 

Housesitting is unlikely to make you vast sums of money – long-term house minders can earn about £9 a day, plus food and travel allowances and short-term housesitters can earn between £8 and £10 an hour. 

However – you can make a lot more money if you can hire out your own house while you stay at someone else’s. 

If you live in a popular city or a very attractive part of the country, why not rent out your home at the same time? Simply put it up for rent on Gumtree, Spareroom or through a local lettings agent that specialises in short, holiday lets. Short-term lets are usually much more lucrative than long-term ones so you could find yourself making £100s while you’re away. To find out more about renting your house, or part of it, see our article on renting a room out. 

Sitters and Childcare.co.uk where you can advertise as a babysitter for free. The agency then makes all the arrangements for you. Also, drop a note through your neighbours’ doors to let them know you’re available to look after their children. You could even send out a group email to friends or work colleagues informing them of your new babysitting venture. Make sure you include a price list to establish the fact that it isn’t a free service from the start. 

Having a DBS check (formerly CRB) will make it easier for you to get work and most agencies will insist on it anyway. 

Written references from people for whom you have already worked with make a big difference. However, even if you haven’t given babysitting a go before you can get character references from a teacher, your bank manager or another professional who knows you well. 

Be prepared for every eventuality whilst looking after children. Keep contact numbers for parents and emergency contacts if for some reason you can’t get hold of them. Ask about allergies, medication or anything else you might need to know. 

If you need some inspiration when it comes to entertaining children, Day Out With The Kids is a brilliant website full of places to visit for both indoor and outdoor activities in your region.  

Feel free to charge anything around £5–10 an hour. The long summer holidays can be a real pain for working parents so there should be plenty of work. 

If you do find that you’re struggling to get work, initially keeping your rates down to a minimum will do your reputation a lot of good – then you can always increase your fee later on once you’ve established some regular clients. 

NarpsUK. Narps members can access discounted rates for insurance and it can also help you find more work through its pet-owner postcode search facility. You’ll earn less per hour but the work would be more regular. Just put ‘dog walking’ into your search engine with your local area and see what comes up. There are lots of little, local agencies all over the country. 

The biggest expense will be insurance. Pet Business Insurance offers a number of packages including: 

• Public liability – if the dog runs out into the road and causes a pile up, or bites someone. 
•  Care, custody and control – looks after the pet itself if it gets injured while under your care 
•  Loss of key – if you lose your employer’s keys they’ll pay to change the locks. 

You’ll also need a ready supply of pooper-scoopers and bags. Perhaps some doggy toys, too, but owners will usually supply their own.  

Fotolia often have a travel section for professional-quality photographs of interesting things and places. Others such as 123RF operate in a similar way. 

You can also try contacting smaller travel magazines – send an email to their pictures editor and find out their rates. 

If you want to submit a photo to sell, it has to be an RGB JPEG saved at a high setting (such as Photoshop level 10 setting or 48 MB in size). They must not be compressed file sizes. Usually the higher the image resolution, the more you’ll be paid, so keep files large. 

Do be careful about the pictures you submit – pictures of identifiable houses or models. Any person who’s in the photo will, in most cases, need a release form. This is signed by the model or house owner to cite that their permission has been given. This is because you will profit from their personal belongings. Also, some properties and logos are trademarked and therefore will not be accepted. 

What you charge is completely up to you, but it’s advisable to only charge what you think people can afford. Try not to rob little old ladies of their pension, but feel free to charge anything up to £15 an hour to socialites with pocket-sized pooches. 

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). 

Once you’re qualified try sites like Leisurejobs, Gapyear.com and Gumtree. Also, contact your local pool and ask about vacancies. 

To be a pool lifeguard you’ll need one of the following qualifications: 

•  The National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) 
• The National Aquatic Rescue Standard (NaRS): Pool Lifeguard 
• NPLQ and NaRS courses are based at local swimming pools or leisure centres. They are run through approved centres, such as colleges and swimming clubs. 

To be a beach lifeguard you’ll need one of the following qualifications: 

• RLSS National Beach Lifeguard Qualification 
• National Aquatic Rescue Standard (NaRS): Beach Lifeguard, run by the Surf Life Saving Association of Great Britain (SLSA GB). 

These qualifications can be gained by training with a commercial training organisation like Harlyn Surf School in Cornwal. Or, you can join a local RLSS Lifeguard club or SLSA GB life-saving club as a volunteer. 

You can get information on all lifeguard courses in your area through the Learndirect careers advice website. Expect to pay between £100 and £150, although if you receive benefits you may be entitled to discounts. Because you’ll be working with or around children, you’ll need to undergo a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service check). 

 

Final notes on summer jobs

Summer brings new chores – lawns have to be mown more often and cars washed more frequently. You’d be surprised at how many people are willing to pay someone to take these tasks off their hands. Mowing lawns in the sun is far from unpleasant! 

Put an ad on Gumtree and get yourself some free business cards to hand out. Put an ad up in your local Post Office or shop, and spread the word. You can pick and choose the jobs you take on, and you can work on your tan as you earn! 

 We also have ideas to make money from your holiday here.