Website of the UK government

Find a summer job

Find a job now

Search thousands of jobs listed on Directgov

• Find a job

As well as letting you earn money, the right summer job can help you get your foot on the career ladder.

If you haven’t already got a job lined up for the summer, don’t worry – it’s not too late.

Thousands of vacancies are listed on Directgov. You can search for jobs by title, location or category. You can also find voluntary work which can help you develop and learn new skills while you're looking for a job.

Spend just 15 minutes looking – you never know what you’ll find.

• Find a job now (employment section)

Tax on your earnings

As long as your earnings for the year are less than the personal allowance of £7,475, you don’t have to pay any tax on the money you make.

To make sure you aren’t taxed, download and complete a form P38(S) by following the first link below.

If you’ve already started work but haven’t filled out a form P38(S), you can reclaim any tax you’re owed by sending HMRC a form P50 – follow the second link below.

• Form P38(S)- Student Employees (PDF, 94K) Opens new window

• Form P50 - claiming tax back when you have stopped working (PDF, 355K) Opens new window

• Help with PDF files

For further information on working while you study, follow the link below.

• Working while you study: paying tax (education and learning section)

National Minimum Wage and employment rights

Most workers who are above compulsory school age are entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW).

Find out more about the National Minimum Wage and your employment rights.

• The National Minimum Wage rates (employment section)

• Employment rights for young people (young people section)

Career planning

If you don’t know what sort of career you want, plenty of information and advice on planning a career is available on Directgov.

• Planning a career (employment section)

• Planning your future (young people section)

Student finance

Going to uni or college this autumn? Apply for student finance online

• Student finance

Job profiles - Next Step

Information on planning a career is also available on the Next Step website. It has over 750 job profiles, letting you know what each job involves and how to get into it.

You can also find tips on:

• finding a job
• CVs and covering letters
• applications and interviews

• Job profiles - Next Steps Opens new window

• Tips to help you find a job - Next Steps Opens new window

Internships and volunteering

Internships and volunteering schemes are another way to gain valuable experience. You’ll learn new skills and will have something to put on your CV.

Internships can be paid or unpaid, depending on the arrangements you have with your employer.

Graduate internships

If you have recently graduated from university, the Graduate Talent Pool has hundreds of available internships.

These internships can provide you with real-life work experience, let you try your hand at a possible career and prove yourself to a potential employer.

• Graduate Talent Pool Opens new window

• Graduate placements and internships (education and learning section)

Work experience and volunteering

You don’t have to be a graduate to do work experience or volunteering – everyone can do it.

Find out more about work experience and volunteering, and how to find a placement, by following the links below.

• Search and apply for a volunteering opportunity

• Work experience and volunteering (young people section)