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ELLA BATES-HERMANS/Stuff
Students are in hot demand by employers
Cash-hungry university students are in hot demand with jobs from TikTok expert to Ketamine drug trials, with some roles paying up to $112 per hour.
With no sign of a jobs slowdown in Aotearoa, more employers are tapping into the student workforce to fill roles, said a listing agency for students.
“More than ever employers understand the value of bringing on board people who are studying or have recently graduated.
“They’re an abundant source of knowledge, especially in the technology space, and can inject positive energy into any business,” said Suzanne Boyd, chief executive of Student Job Search.
The agency is currently listing more than a hundred jobs a day, and students can not only take their pick of jobs, but are likely to be offered higher than a minimum wage for non-traditional jobs.
“Many of our employers will offer more than the bare minimum to attract excellent candidates. In some industries, such as digital technology, where there’s still a candidate shortage, we’re seeing remuneration well over and above the minimum wage,” Boyd said.
Successful candidates can earn $90 an hour in one listing by a marketing agency looking for students to create TikTok videos.
Jef Kay, founder of Easy Social Media, said that clients were interested in students as they resonated with certain brands.
“Agencies are reaching out to students for TikTok content creation because they have the most familiarity with the platform – it’s used by all ages, but certainly the trends and changes that we see on TikTok are driven by the younger generations of platform users.”
Up to $63 an hour is listed as a part-time role for people to become peers to prisoners in Rolleston Prison in Christchurch. Any “lived experience of alcohol and drugs” is welcomed in candidates to “bring a peer perspective both to the staff team and the clients”.
Suitability of students for the roles was not decided by Corrections. A spokesperson for Corrections told Stuff that the adverts were listed by a “third-party provider”, which was contracted to run programmes within prisons.
The Government’s child protection agency Oranga Tamariki was recently criticised for sending unqualified people into difficult environments, when it advertised for students to fill casual shifts at a youth justice facility.
Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
ACT’s Karen Chhour says Oranga Tamariki is asking “kids to look after kids”, as it advertises job vacancies on Student Job Search.
For students not keen on the justice system, medical research is another earner. Student Job Search currently has a number of trials looking for participants.
One such trial involves party drug Ketamine, an animal tranquilliser used by vets that has recently surged in popularity as a recreational drug in New Zealand.
A clinical study measuring the effects of ketamine on anxiety is seeking 30 people in Otago or Dunedin, offering $200. Candidates need to supply a doctor’s letter before selection.
An asthma trial is offering $112.50 per hour, and looking for 180 people with asthma in the Hawke’s Bay region who would be willing to road test different inhalers.
A research study for a “new investigational vaccine” is seeking four Wellington students and offering pay of $61.50 an hour.
Supplied
Illegal party drug Ketamine, used by vets as an anaesthetic, is being researched for potential to help people with anxiety
Other high paying student jobs listed include a freight inspector in Wellington paying $100 an hour to examine cargo ships prior to export. The role appeals to students emphasising that it requires “very little time investment”, with each inspection paying $50 and taking just 15 to 30 minutes.
“Become a mascot” is another student job offering $50 to be brand mascots. Students as tutors are also in high demand for specific topics, with some listings paying up to $75 an hour.
For those not ready to give up their rubber gloves, there are still plenty of dish and kitchen hand jobs to choose from – with up to 20 a week listed when Stuff checked the student site, but mostly paying around $22.70 an hour.
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