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Work and career advice

Explore opportunities to earn money while you study. Or take a look at our careers support that can help you make a living doing what you love.

Working while studying

  • Student standing with a hanging pink, green and lilac purple textile artwork
    Textiles installation suspended from the ceiling, 2019, Chelsea College of Art|Photograph: Amelia Rodney

    UAL Arts Temps

    Connect with flexible, paid work via our recruitment agency. Temporary and permanent roles, available to all UAL creatives.

  • Room with hanging rails of clothes. In the background a person is dressing a mannequin in a green anorak.
    Tejaswini Sood, MA Fashion Futures student in the Digital Learning Lab, London College of Fashion, UAL | Photograph: Ben Turner

    Creative Opportunities  

    UAL’s industry jobs board for students and graduates. We advertise hundreds of jobs and paid internships each month, in the UK and internationally.

  • 2 people talking at the top of stairs beside a beautiful concrete wall
    Students during leisure time, 2019 | Photograph: Alys Tomlinson

    Career one-to-ones

    Get advice on how to make your CV stand out, finding paid opportunities and support turning your passion project into a business.

Work restrictions for international students

Whether you can work in the UK, and how many hours you can work in a week, will depend on your visa status. Check your visa documents: it’s your responsibility to stay within the rules.

If you’re on a Student Visa you must work for an employer, you cannot be self-employed or set up a business.

Contact the Student Advice Service if you need help understanding what’s allowed.

Visas and immigration

If you’re an international student, get help with visa and immigration issues.

Get a National Insurance number

Everyone who works in the UK needs to have a National Insurance number. National Insurance (NI) is a charge that is automatically deducted from an employee's wages.

You’ll have to pay this charge if you earn over a certain amount in a week, even if you’re here for a short time.

You can apply for an NI number once you have a fixed home address.

Apply for a National Insurance number online.

Income tax

If you do work while in the UK, you may be charged UK income tax on earnings — however, you need to be earning more than a certain amount before you need to pay any tax.

Find out more about UK income tax.

Careers advice and resources

Are you ready to take your skills out into the world? Our student careers support can help you gain the confidence and skills needed to be successful. Look at some of our top resources below or explore the full student careers hub.

  • Luyi Xu, 2021 MA Service Design, London College of Communication, UAL | Photograph: Ben Turner

    Find work and funding

    Discover opportunities for jobs, funding and freelance work. Internships, competitions, volunteering and an enterprise programme to help you turn your idea into reality.

  • People talking at the private view, 2017 | Photograph: UAL

    Build your network

    Connect with peers, professionals and potential collaborators through our events, training and mentoring schemes. 

  • Students in overalls and safety goggles stand at a workbench, lit by overhead strip lights
    Students in the 3D Make Workshop, 2023, Central Saint Martins | Photograph by Bruce Basudde

    Develop your skills

    Get the skills and support you need for the career you want with our online learning resources.

  • A student stands in front of a white wall, holding a pen towards a faint image of an astronaut that is being projected onto that wall
    Ella Williams working on a projection, 2019 | Photograph: UAL

    Events and workshops

    We run events throughout the year to help you learn practical skills, network with creative professionals and get advice for your career.