Working in Manchester

  • You may be new to Manchester, or you may have lived in or around Manchester all your life, but that doesn't mean you know every suburb or district, or have ever looked for a job before. Each suburb and region has its own unique vibe from bohemian Chorlton, the vibrant underbank area of Stockport and let's not forget the bustling city centre and popular Northern Quarter.

Some say Manchester is the UK's second city, the Greater Manchester city region is huge, there are so may different types of opportunities available, but that can make looking for jobs a bit daunting. Opportunities include, volunteering, part time jobs, summer internships and graduate jobs, use our advice to help you find the jobs you want and make the best application possible.

Who can I work for?

Manchester and the regions have a lot to offer from huge shopping malls (The Arndale and The Trafford Centre) to small boutique stores, football, rugby and cricket clubs, music and theatre venues, museums and galleries, and if you want a coffee or a matcha tea take your pick, there are hundreds of cafes! You may find opportinuties to work in any of these and many others, you just need to be proactive and respond to opportunties when you find them.

Many big name companies (too many to list) have offices or their headquarters in Manchester, but small businesses are far more numerous and make up the main employers of students and graduates. This means many jobs could be with companies you have never heard of, so do your research on their website or visit their store to see if they are a company you would enjoy working for.

Looking for a list of businesses of a particular type?

  • Use Google maps and search for "advertising agencies" or "engineering consultancies" to see all the listed businesses in your map area.
  • Use the organisation search on CareerConnect Search-Organisations. Filter by region=England- North West.

You can see which stores are in the big shopping centres using the links below, or do a quick search on google maps to see if your favourites have an outlet near by.

Location, location, location

When you are looking for work it's a good idea to first understand the geography of the area. Where are the shops and businesses in relation to where you live/study and how can you get there?

  • The University campus is only a short walk into the city (or you can also get one of many buses). You can also get buses or cycle to many of the suburbs around Manchester directly from the campus.
  • Manchester has a good public transport service, buses, trams and trains. But its worth checking how much it will cost to get to a place of work and what time transport starts and ends. (It may become less frequent later in the evening which could impact on you getting home) use the BeeNetwork website to plan your journeys.
  • Be smart! Areas where lots of students frequent will be innundated with applications for jobs. Consider the suburbs and districts, e.g. Didsbury, Sale, Chorlton, Stockport, Oldham, Bury and many many more, they all have shops and businesses but many students wouldn't think to look there.

So go on, get started exploring the city (don't forget your umbrella!)