Is 2026 the year where you will start to look for a new part time job?
Maybe you want to change your career path or you might be entering the job market after a long break.
Or it could even be that you don’t have much or any work experience and you are looking to change that in 2026 and by way of getting yourself a part time job.
If you are considering trying something different but you aren’t sure what type of work you would like to do, we have compiled a list of the most in demand jobs for 2026. But these aren’t just any jobs.
These are the types of part time jobs that will suit those of you who are looking for entry level roles. The types of jobs that help you get a foot in the door so that you can go on to build a career.
The 2026 Job Market
There is some good news for those looking for entry level jobs that might be in a completely different sector to that which you have worked in previously. The 2026 entry-level market is shaped by a shift toward soft skills and technical adaptability.
In 2026, employers are increasingly looking for candidates who can handle digital tools and AI-driven workflows, even in non-tech roles like retail or administration.
Importantly, UK employers are now willing to hire candidates without complete qualifications in a particular field. What they are looking for is your ability to demonstrate your strong transferable or soft skills.
This is a shift from previous years and it is good news because it opens doors for you if you are looking for a change in career.
There are various soft skills that you can identify in yourself and highlight in your applications. Soft skills include areas like:
- Effective communication
- Teamwork
- Problem solving
- Time management
- Leadership
- Adaptability
- Creativity
The list goes on. So, before you apply for any new part time jobs, make sure you have identified where your strengths lie when it comes to these soft skills and back this up with concrete examples.
The Most In-Demand Entry Level Jobs For 2026
Now let’s take a look at the types of entry level jobs where you are likely to be in demand in 2026.
Healthcare Assistant
Healthcare jobs are always plentiful and 2026 is not set to be any different. That the UK has an aging population adds to this demand. This is an area where both entry level roles and those that require professional qualifications are around.
As a healthcare assistant, it will be your duty to provide essential support to patients and help ensure the smooth running of a variety of healthcare settings such as hospitals, care homes and GP practices.
The main duties of a healthcare assistant are assisting patients with personal care such as washing, dressing, toileting and eating, while respecting dignity and privacy. You will also support patients with mobility, helping them move safely or use mobility aids.
As well as monitoring patients’ conditions by checking vital signs like temperature, pulse and blood pressure and reporting any changes to nurses or senior staff, your other responsibilities will include making beds, maintaining cleanliness and restocking supplies.
And, of course, healthcare assistants also offer emotional support, reassuring patients and responding to their needs with compassion.
If you wish to take your career as a healthcare assistant further, one directşon you could pursue is going into nursing. Again, there are lots of shortages in this field, particularly in the areas of mental health nursing, critical care, emergency departments and community nursing.
Customer Service Representatives
Have you got the soft skills and traits that could make you a successful customer service representative? Overall, your role will be to build trust, encourage customer loyalty and contribute to the company’s reputation for quality service.
To do this, a customer service assistant is responsible for supporting customers and ensuring a positive experience with a company’s products or services.
Your main duty is to respond to customer enquiries in a polite, professional and timely manner. This might be in person, by phone or online.
Some of the areas you will be required to help customers with is product information, orders, payments and returns, and resolving complaints and problems. As you might expect, as a customer service assistant, you will need to have excellent listening skills so that you can understand customer needs and provide accurate solutions or escalate issues when necessary.
Other duties include creating and maintaining records of customer interactions, updating customer accounts and following company policies and procedures.
Depending on your place of work, as a customer service assistant, you might also assist with sales by recommending suitable products and promoting special offers that the company has.
The types of soft skills needed to be a successful customer service assistant are strong communication skills, patience and problem-solving abilities.
Cleaning Jobs
Good reliable cleaners are always in demand across a variety of sectors – including in private homes.
A cleaner is responsible for maintaining cleanliness, hygiene and a safe environment in homes, offices, schools or public buildings. Your main duties would include sweeping, mopping, vacuuming floors and dusting or wiping furniture and surfaces.
Depending on the environment you are working in, your duties could also include sanitising bathrooms, kitchens and shared areas by disinfecting sinks, toilets and countertops to prevent the spread of germs.
Again, depending on your setting, you woıld also need to restock supplies such as soap, paper towels and toilet paper and you might be required to clean windows, mirrors and doors, ensuring all areas are presentable and well maintained.
Cleaners must follow health and safety guidelines related to the place of work and use any specialist cleaning chemicals correctly and operate equipment safely.
Attention to detail, time management and reliability are important soft skills for this role because your work directly affects comfort, hygiene and the overall appearance of the environment.
Retail Assistant
As a retail assistant, you will play a key role in supporting daily store operations and delivering excellent customer service. Overall, a retail assistant helps ensure customers enjoy a smooth, efficient and welcoming shopping experience.
Your primary duty is to greet customers, answer questions and help them to find products that meet their needs. This means you will need to have strong communication and teamwork skills. These are essential as you will often work closely with colleagues to meet sales targets and maintain a positive shopping environment.
Retail assistants provide accurate information about prices, features, promotions and store policies. Other duties you will need to carry out are being responsible for operating the cash register, handling payments, issuing receipts and processing returns or exchanges.
Keeping the store clean, tidy, and well organised is also an important part of the role, including restocking shelves, arranging displays and checking inventory levels.
Retail assistants may assist with receiving deliveries and reporting low or damaged stock to supervisors.
Once you have experience in retail, take a look at our list of top part time retail job ideas.
Junior Data Analyst
If you have great organisational skills and excellent attention to detail then this could be a great career path for you. Attention to detail, logical thinking and basic statistical knowledge are essential for this type of role. A junior data analyst helps transform raw data into useful insights that support planning, performance evaluation and strategic decision-making.
As a junior your job will be to support the collection, analysis and interpretation of data to help an organisation make informed decisions. Your main duties would include gathering data from databases, spreadsheets and other sources, then cleaning and organising it to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Junior data analysts assist in creating basic reports, charts and dashboards that summarise key findings for senior analysts or managers. You will need to be familiar with using digital tools such as Excel, SQL or data visualisation software to identify trends, patterns and any anomalies that might appear.
Another important responsibility is documenting data processes and maintaining clear records of methodologies used.
Junior data analysts often collaborate with team members to understand business requirements and translate them into data-related tasks.
Junior Tech Roles
If you like the idea of having a job in the tech industry but you do not have any previous experience in that area, there is some good news because entry level positions in cybersecurity, data analysis and UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) design are growing.
Positions like this are often accessible through intensive coding bootcamps or apprenticeships. There are many organisations and universities that run these courses online so you will be able to do them remotely.
For tech roles, intensive bootcamps are a recognised alternative to degrees for landing entry-level developer or analyst roles.A great way to make a career switch and land roles in a sector where your skills will be in high demand.
In the future, your tech role could give you the opportunity to work remotely. Take a look at these nine popular remorse part time jobs for people in tech.
Project Coordination
Entry-level project coordinators are in demand across various sectors, including recruitment and construction, with competitive starting day rates. A project coordinator helps maintain structure, improves efficiency and contributes to the successful delivery of project objectives.
As a project coordinator, your main duties would include assisting project managers with scheduling tasks, preparing project plans and tracking progress against deadlines. You would also organise meetings, prepare agendas, take minutes and follow up on action items with team members.
Further duties would be to help manage project documentation, budgets and reports, ensuring information is accurate and up to date. You will also have the key responsibility for coordinating communication between stakeholders, team members and external partners to keep everyone informed of orıgress.
Project coordinators also identify potential risks or issues and report them to the project manager for resolution.
Soft skills that will be necessary for a role like project coordinator would be strong organisational skills, attention to detail and effective communication. These are all essential.
Early Years Education
Do you love the idea of working with children, helping them to develop early skills and confidence? If so then you could consider a career in Early Years education.
An early years educator is responsible for supporting the learning, development and wellbeing of children from birth to five years old, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework.
Your duties would include planning and delivering age-appropriate activities that promote children’s physical, emotional, social and cognitive development. Whilst doing this, you will also observe and assess children’s progress, keep accurate records and use your observations to support individual learning needs.
Early Years education is about creating a safe, inclusive and stimulating environment where children feel secure and valued. Safeguarding is a key responsibility and you will need to follow policies that protect children’s health, safety and welfare.
As you might expect with small children, as an Early Years educator, you will also support children with personal care routines such as eating and hygiene and encourage positive behaviour.
As well as communicating with the children in your care, you will also need to have effective communication with parents and carers to share progress, address concerns and build strong relationships of trust.
SEN Teaching Assistant
Staying in the world of education, working with children with special educational needs is also an in demand role that you might find very rewarding. At entry level, you might consider being an SEN teaching assistant.
An SEN teaching assistant supports children with special educational needs to help them access learning and develop essential skills. Your main duties would include working closely with the class teacher to support pupils on an individual or small-group basis, adapting activities to meet specific learning, physical or emotional needs.
SEN teaching assistants help implement education, health and care plans (EHCPs) and support strategies designed by teachers or specialists. You would provide assistance with communication, behaviour management and social interaction, encouraging independence and confidence.
Depending on the school and the nature of the needs of the child, as an SEN teaching assistant, you might also need to support personal care, mobility and / or medical needs.
SEN teaching assistants observe pupils’ progress, record outcomes and share feedback with both teachers and parents. Safeguarding and promoting a safe, inclusive environment are key responsibilities.
Soft skills that will go a long way in this type of role are patience, empathy, strong communication skills and teamwork skills. SEN teaching assistants play a vital role in helping pupils achieve their full potential.
Sustainability Consultant
If you are keen on protecting our environment and have an interest in sustainability then you could find a career as a sustainability consultant hugely rewarding.
A sustainability consultant advises organisations on how to reduce their environmental impact and operate in a more socially and economically responsible way. You would visit places of work and assess their current practices related to energy use, waste management, carbon emissions and resource efficiency. You would then use this data and analyse it to identify risks, opportunities and any areas for improvement.
Sustainability consultants also:
- develop sustainability strategies, action plans and policies that align with regulations, industry standards and organisational goals.
- Advise on compliance with environmental legislation and supporting reporting frameworks such as ESG or carbon reporting.
- Recommend renewable energy solutions, supply chain improvements and sustainable materials.
- Often work with different stakeholders, delivering presentations, training staff and raising awareness of sustainability initiatives.
Soft skills that are essential for being a sustainability consultant are strong analytical skills, communication skills and problem-solving skills.
Overall, a sustainability consultant helps organisations improve performance, reduce costs, manage environmental risks and contribute positively to long-term sustainability goals. This will help the company to not only operate more sustainably but to also boost its reputation.
Digital Marketing
Perhaps not surprisingly, digital marketing is a role that is very much in demand for 2026.
A digital marketer is responsible for promoting a company’s products or services through online channels to reach and engage target audiences. In this role, your main duties include planning, creating and managing digital marketing campaigns across platforms such as social media, websites, email and search engines such as Google.
Digital marketers need to be creative because you will be responsible for developing content. This includes posts, adverts and newsletters that align with brand messaging and business goals.
As well as doing the actual digital marketing, as a digital marketer, you will also need to use tools like Google Analytics and social media insights to track performance, analyse data and measure campaign effectiveness.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising are also key responsibilities so that you can increase website traffic and conversions.
Other aspects of the role of a digital marketer include monitoring trends, monitoring competitor activity and assessing audience behaviour with the aim of improving strategies. All of this might also involve collaborating with designers, sales teams and external agencies.
Soft skills that are essential for being effective in digital marketing are strong creativity skills, analytical skills and adaptability. Being adaptable is essential as the role requires responding quickly to changing digital trends and technologies.
Apprenticeships In Trades & Construction
Trades and construction roles will always be in demand and this is particularly the case for 2026 and going forward as the government continues to invest in these areas.
As you might expect, there is a whole host of trades out there where you can start at entry level and work your way up through Apprenticeships and other courses that will allow you to build your skills, knowledge and expertise.
Take a look at our more detailed articles about outdoor labouring jobs in construction and our top part time job ideas for working in skilled trades.
