At the University of Reading, all accommodation offered by the university is operated by UPP. There are 4,982 rooms at the Whiteknights Campus, managed by a site team who are committed to offering students a warm welcome and ensuring the halls feel like a home away from home.
UPP offers a variety of job opportunities to students at the Whiteknights Campus that can be undertaken alongside their university studies. These part-time opportunities offer flexible working hours that can be tailored to fit around students’ university schedules, allowing them to earn money without compromising their academic commitments.
To provide an insight into studying and working at UPP, we’ve spoken to student employees about their experiences.
Will, senior student representative
Will is a third year BSc Real Estate student and joined the student engagement team at Reading in 2023. As a student representative, he’s responsible for hosting student events and helps advertise these socials on the Home at Halls app.
Ally, accommodation officer
In 2019, Ally was a first-year BSc Psychology student when she joined UPP Reading as a summer assistant and call centre advisor. Since then, Ally has been a postal assistant, marketing assistant and front of house supervisor. Then in July 2022, Ally became an accommodation officer and is now responsible for room allocations at the University of Reading.
Georgia and Phoebe, postal assistants
Georgia and Phoebe became postal assistants at UPP Reading in September 2023, following their previous experience as summer assistants- three years for Georgia and two years for Phoebe. Georgia holds a recent MChem Chemistry degree, while Phoebe is in her third year pursuing a BSc in Biomedical Sciences.
Hristina, helpdesk supervisor
Hristina joined the team in 2018 as a summer assistant while pursuing her BSc in Psychology. Over the years, she has taken on various roles, including postal assistant, senior student representative, helpdesk customer support representative, and maintenance administrator. Since 2022, Hristina has been the helpdesk supervisor, responsible for responding to inquiries from students living in halls.
Deputy Residence Director Justin Milward says that “having Reading students join us for the summer is incredibly helpful, especially during the busy intake and outtake period. They value the flexible work arrangements, and we’re pleased to offer them experiences that enhance their CVs. It’s always a pleasure to welcome them back year after year. Our student postal assistants, who stay with us throughout the year, are a fantastic addition to our team and often started as summer assistants before transitioning into this permanent role.”