A major advantage of choosing to study at West London College is that the campus is located in the heart of the most prosperous part of London, so there are plenty of part-time and vacation employment opportunies available locally.
Many students choose to work part-time while they are studying, and the College actively encourages this because it provides students with valuable commercial experience which can often lead to a career job in the future.
Geographically the College is perfectly situated for students to find work that is either relevant to their course or related to a personal interest or hobby. The Campus is in the West End of London where there is a very high density of retail outlets (IT , fashion, sports, music, etc), international class hotels and tourist attractions, travel agencies, theatres, bars and restaurants, conferences and exhibition venues, art galleries and museums, etc.
The College has a Jobshop which keeps in touch with local employers so that students are quickly aware of local job opportunities. The Jobshop also helps with job applications, giving advice on CV preparation and interview technique.
Students from overseas who are on Heriot-Watt University degree programmes are allowed to work but are limited to 20 hours per week when classes are running, though the College would not expect anyone to work more hours than this whilst studying anyway. There is no limit during vacation periods, which are usually two months in the winter, December and January, and two months in the summer, June and July.
Internships
For students who care more about gaining industry-specific experience than earning money the College is able to offer unpaid internships through a specialist agency. The placement is usually for one month and the arrangement fee for this is £474, which is paid directly to the agency. Students are offered a choice of placements relevant to their course of study.