Part-time Jobs for Students: A Good Idea
I, being employed with a part-time job, truly do believe that there is no wrong in having a part-time job while being a student. I honestly think that it is an awesome, great idea for students to have part-time jobs before they graduate from high school -- if they have the time and resources to do so. Students who are responsible, or learn responsibility, have nothing to loose but all to gain by having a job.
There are a few key points that prove students having part-time jobs is an awesome concept which I am going to point out.
A student that can maintain a part-time job gain excellent first-hand experience that cannot be gained from the classroom. Today, if you are looking in the help wanted section of the newspaper you will notice that even for jobs aimed at students it is usually stated that experience is required or is an asset. In todays job force, employers do not always have time or the resources to train employees in great depth. Experienced students applying for a job are more likely to be hired than someone who is not as experienced.
This is because students with experience on their resume show that they have already proven they can handle a job while balancing school and other activities. Students can gain a lot of experience by volunteering, although employers are usually looking for real job experience. For example this past spring I quit my full-time job at Tim Hortons and was in need of a new job. I started to print of my resumes and hand them out to various stores, restaurants and other places. I had a few interviews even one at East Side Marios my dream job. While I was being interviewed, I soon understood that if I did not have the experience at Tim Hortons they probably would not have even considered me for an interview.
Now with a fair bit of experience to back me up I talk to employers with confidence and they usually always seem more interested in having me work at their places than before when I did not have any experience. Many students who have not worked during high school find it harder to find jobs, when it is more necessary, while they are in college than students with experience do. Some students are required to work during their post-secondary education to pay for bills, education, etc. The experienced students will find it a lot easier not only find work, but to manage the heavy work load of school and a 30 hour work.
Therefore I do believe that this is a reason in which adds to the pros of students having part-time jobs before they graduate.A student with a part-time job will learn not only great work ethic, but also how to balance the demanding workloads between school and work. This is great for when students go on to become involved in other activities because they will know time management and how to balance their energy between activities. Time management is a skill that is extremely important to students and people in todays world because everything is so fast, and compressed; there is a lot to do in a typical day of a student! Employed students must learn how to work while still making time for their studies and other things. They will also have to learn confidence in telling the boss when they absolutely can not work because schoolwork must come first. For example, I used to work about 40 hours a week at Tim Hortons while I was attending Northern full time as a student.
Between all this, I was training for boxing, running x-country, maintaining a social life and such but I kept my schoolwork the first priority with my job running in a close second. It was hard to get on track of balancing everything while working eight(plus) hour day shifts but I was able to manage it, and find use for every moment I had awake. I learned a lot from that time in my life and now every day I get I seem to plan out and make sure I have the proper time for everything. Students learning how to balance their workload will benefit a lot during their post-secondary education, especially if they have to work during this time. Although not all students would be able to maintain a job while attending their post-secondary education, a part-time job during high school can prepare them for the heavy work load that university/college will bring. Thus, high school students should be involved in work of some type if the opportunity is there because they will learn outstanding time management skills.
High school students with part-time jobs in the real world learn how to deal with money! As a teenager money is just a word that need to be exclaimed, as well as explained. Working in this world we learn many ways money is used: We see how money is handled from merchandiser and customer, how the company must budget money and, of course, our paycheques! Bringing in a paycheque gives us a sense or independence, freedom and in a strange sense a feel of stronger acceptance in society. Although it may not be right, todays society looks at those with money higher than others. Teenagers are looked on very low in todays world by many people.
If they prove that they can responsibly handle a job and handle their money properly maybe, it wont give such a bad name towards teenagers. Teenagers have to become more responsible with their money as they receive increasing amounts. We learn that it does take hard work and effort to make the little money that we do, so we must spend it wisely. Most of us receive a paycheque every other week while some of us receive one every week.
This teaches us that we must budget and learn how to pay our bills and debtors while putting some away in savings. After this we must still learn how to make, the rest of our cheques last us until our next cheque is issued. For example, back while I was working full time I was able to collect around five hundred dollars every two weeks. I didnt have many bills to pay so I would usually just put away one hundred while keeping the rest out for my pleasure. I would usually spend two hundred in the first few days on additions to my wardrobe and the rest I would budget out for throughout the week.
Because I was on the run so much I often ate out and had to put away money for that, plus my transportation and money for emergencies. It isnt as easy as it seems to have money management skills. You can just blow it within an hour and not even have to think twice but I was required to save and learn how to spread the money out over two weeks time. I learned a lot from those experiences and it helps me now with my smaller paycheque and I am sure my skills will further develop with this job and I will be better off for the future.
Therefore, part-time jobs teach students great money management skills, which will be very useful in the future so having a part-time job is a great idea.
These three points which I have described are only three of the countless reasons why it is a great idea for students to have part-time jobs before they graduate. With the endless skills and experiences they will encounter there is no reason to try to hold back someone from such an incredible time that will only benefit them hugely in life.
