For those of us who have permanent academic jobs, the cycle of the year is about to enter its research/course planning/writing up/working from home phase. But for those scholars who have been working on temporary contracts, the prospect of being without wages over the summer can suddenly seem very real around the end of May. However, there are some job opportunities out there for those who are prepared to put in really hard work over the summer.
More and more British universities are capitalizing on summer schools as a way of making extra cash. They are taking advantage of the reputation of our education system round the world, which despite the many reservations of those of us working within it, is still one of the best in the world. The premise is that overseas students come to study at your university for short courses over the summer months. This education will improve their skills and knowledge and help them get a better degree at their own institution, and obviously looks great on the CV.
These schools are very popular especially in cities such as London, Manchester, Edinburgh and, of course, Oxford and Cambridge. So, how can they benefit the academic job seeker? Well, lecturers are needed to design, run and teach these courses. They are very intensive, involving much more contact time than normal undergraduate teaching and also often involving trips outside the classroom. But they can also be very lucrative with high wages for those willing to give up their summers to teach on these schools.
Some universities will also be looking for admin staff to help to manage the intake and keep records on the students. These sorts of jobs are also often open to academic staff who need extra cash over the summer or whose contracts terminate at the end of the traditional academic year. So, research the universities in your local area and see if they have any of these sorts of jobs going. Working on a project like this can look good on your CV too!
