Ways young people earn money

Your first earnings can come from a job, a skill or something you make. Each route pays differently, carries different rules and takes a different bite out of your study time, so it pays to choose deliberately.

The main routes

• Part-time and holiday jobs: working for an employer in retail, cafes, events, cinemas or offices. You are paid an agreed wage and the employer handles the paperwork.
• Internships and training placements: often unpaid or lightly paid, but they build experience and contacts. In the UAE, MOHRE offers a training and work permit for students aged 15 and over, applied for by the employer.
• Tutoring: teaching younger students a subject you are strong in. In the UAE, private lessons outside schools need a Private Teacher Work Permit from MOHRE, and school students aged 15 to 18 are among the groups who can apply. Gulf News reports that student applicants need a no objection certificate from their guardian, a certificate of good conduct and a medical fitness certificate.
• Selling: making or reselling things such as baked goods, crafts, prints or second-hand items. Selling as a business in the UAE generally needs a licence (see lesson 5).
• Creating and freelancing: design, video editing, photography, coding or writing for clients, or building an audience online. These have their own rules on permits, platform ages and advertising (lessons 6 and 7).

Questions to ask before you choose

• What will I actually earn per hour once travel, preparation and costs are counted? A job paying a little less with no travel can beat one that pays more but takes two hours to reach.
• Is it legal for my age and visa status where I live? In the UAE, most routes for under-18s involve a permit and written consent from a parent or guardian.
• What does it teach me? Customer service, reliability, handling money and teamwork all count on a CV and a university application.
• Is it safe? Know where you will be, who you will be with and how you will get home, and tell a parent or guardian.

Protecting your study time

• The University of Birmingham recommends that full-time undergraduates work no more than 15 hours a week in term time. Treat that as a ceiling, not a target, while you are at school.
• UK law caps term-time work for children of compulsory school age at 12 hours a week, which shows how seriously study time is protected.
• Holiday work is the easiest fit. In the UAE, establishments may recruit students aged 15 and over during academic holidays for a maximum of three consecutive months each time.
• Put exam dates in your calendar first, then fit work around them. Tell employers about exam periods before you start, not the week before.
• If your grades, sleep or health slip, cut your hours. A part-time job is replaceable; your final-year results are not.

Building a first CV

• List school roles, volunteering, sports captaincy, clubs and any informal work such as helping in a family business.
• For each item, write what you did and one result: 'Ran the bake sale stall, raising money for the school charity drive.'
• Ask a teacher or past supervisor in advance whether they will act as a referee.
• Use university and school careers services: many advertise student-friendly roles and offer CV feedback, as Cardiff University's Student Futures does.