Should Students Take Part-Time Jobs?

One of the biggest things a student must figure out upon entering school is what to do with all that time. Free to schedule as they please and free from the obligations of life at home, students find themselves with a wealth of time they may or may not have.

There are things which you might consider working. First of all, if you want to be cool and go out with your classmates and buy some cool stuff, well you need money! By getting a job, you get money. Of course, you have to work for it, but still, it can – and probably will – be useful. There is not only money to consider though. Experience is an important asset for after finishing your school. When you work during your school year and add it to your resume, it will show your future employers that you are able to manage to pursue two activities at the same time, or more if you are involved elsewhere. Another interesting thing to consider is the contacts you might make by working. By contacts, I mean people that can be useful to you later in life. If you have different jobs, you make new references you can later add to your CV along with the experience. Also, if you are lucky enough to get a job in your area of studies, it may later become a permanent job.

The main disadvantage on your life is that you will have less time for schoolwork – and social life of course. This also means you get less free time to just hang out or party or do other stuff than work and study. This is an important of your life if you do not want to go all crazy! It is also important if you want to be cool. Having a job can also add another source of stress to your life. Depending on the type of job you are looking for, you may get a boss that always wants more hours and presses you to be more available. One of the things you can do is to set yourself a maximum number of hours you want to work per week and make this clear with your employer at the beginning of the year.

My biggest recommendation is not to rush into anything it’s perfectly acceptable to spend the first few a weeks of school adjusting and having fun, and then  slide a job into the mix when you’ve grown comfortable with everything else. Finally, never allow an outside job to get in the way of your health and school years in general. While work may keep you motivated and get you needed money, it’s not worth losing your education or well being over. Obtain what you need, but if you feel yourself slipping take some time off. Or find a better place to work. You’ll have plenty of time to work post school.

Adapted from:  www.epinions.com