Purpose The study aimed to clarify how, or if, the quality of paid work undertaken while completing tertiary education affects students’ career development. While most tertiary students work while studying, this is often in more precarious jobs. The study examined the relationships between perceived job precariousness, student agency and the accumulation of career capital. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 273 working students (Mage = 21 years; 75.8% female; Mwork = 22 h per week) and a cross-sectional survey design, we tested a serial indirect effects model in which job precariousness predicted, in turn, perceptions of organisational climate, engagement in job crafting and accumulation of career capital. Findings Higher job precariousness was related to lower social and professional career capital. Job crafting climate and engagement in cognitive and relational job crafting fully explained the relationships between precariousness and social capital, whereas crafting climate and cognitive crafting partially explained the relationship with professional capital. Research limitations/implications The findings have implications for work precarity theory development. However, because the data were survey-based, cross-sectional and from a single university, longitudinal replication using diverse methodology is needed to determine generalisability and to fully test the directions of the effects found. Practical implications The paper provides practical implications for teaching institutions and employers, both of whom have a vested interest in supporting working students to reach their full potential. Originality/value The study contributes to an under-researched area of precarious employment and career development in working students. © 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited
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