Balancing my role as an Army Reservist and student

Ollie Thums

By Ollie Thums, history student

As a mature student, “work experience” has looked a bit different for me. I haven’t done traditional internships or formal placements – instead, I’ve kept working alongside my studies in ways that fit around university life.

I’m a serving Army Reservist, and I also work at Tesco Mobile. Both are fully flexible around my studies, which means I’ve been able to live a fairly normal student life – seeing mates, attending lectures, hitting deadlines, just with a bit of extra structure (and income). It’s not as hard as people think to make it all work together.

Life as an Army Reservist

The Army Reserve came naturally to me as an ex-Regular soldier, but it’s also something any student can get involved in. If you’re up for it, you can join straight from uni, or even look into the University Officer Training Corps.

It’s a great way to earn a bit of money on the side, and the flexibility is brilliant. You can pick and choose what you want to do, it’s the Army but on your terms. More importantly, it teaches things that genuinely help at uni: time management, discipline, prioritisation. It all carries over, especially when you’re juggling deadlines.

Skills gained from the shop floor

Working at Tesco Mobile has been valuable in a different way. Retail jobs are underrated when it comes to building skills. You’re talking to people from every kind of background, managing tricky conversations, and thinking on your feet.

Whether I go on to teach, research, or do something different, those people skills will matter. And learning to communicate clearly with empathy and confidence is something I know will help me in the long-term.

How part-time work shapes academic goals

All of this has shaped how I think about my career. I’m hoping to do a master's and then a PhD, with the aim of becoming a historian one day.

Being a soldier and working in retail might sound unrelated to academia, but they’ve both played a big part in making that goal feel achievable and it’s about the transferable skills that I’ve gained. They’ve helped me become more organised, more resilient, and more comfortable in professional environments, even if they’re totally outside my usual comfort zone.

My advice to other students is simple: go for it! Whether it’s retail, hospitality, volunteering, or something completely different, a part-time job will always teach you something useful. If you can find a balance between work, study, and downtime, that flexibility will pay off when it comes to impressing future employers.

Take the opportunity

One other thing I’d say: take opportunities when they come. I recently got back from a study abroad placement at the University of Texas at Austin, and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. 

Being thrown into a completely different culture and academic environment as an undergraduate helped me grow in every sense. Employers and universities notice when you push yourself out of your comfort zone.

Studying abroad, working part-time, meeting new people: it all adds up. And it’s all experience that stays with you.

If you’re a mature student and are considering your career options, book an appointment with Indy Bamra. Simply email Indy to sort out a date and time.

Also check out on-campus and off campus part-time jobs and other work experience opportunities available at Nottingham.