Is it worth kids doing a levels getting a part time job, or would you prefer your schedule to concentrate on their studies ?

[GingerKittenTail]

? The balance of a teen wanting to earn some money
but also having a lot to do work wise

what are your thoughts ?

DS has had a part time job since 16. Now 18 and in the latter half of Y13, he's just quit to focus on his studies until after his exams. He has quite a bit in savings to keep him going until next summer. I think this is a good balance.

I think there is a balance. I had a Saturday and summer job during 6th form. I had friends who worked too many hours during term time and it did affect them.

As a graduate recruiter I have no interest in someone with straight As and a first with no significant extra circulars or work experience. Things are competitive. I also think someone having held down a retail job will have taught them just as much if not more than daddy having got them some work experience in a nice office.

DD had Christmas Temp jobs in y12 &13. It gave her the taste of working and having her own money but she could also focus 100% on her exams when needed.

Interesting
Have been recruiting Graduates for 30 years and I don’t have any red lines
I try and keep an open mind,but straight As and First class degrees are not to be sniffed at

Surely it depends on what sort if jobs you are recruiting for?

Like if you are recruiting an engineer, does it matter if they worked in a pub whilst doing their A level? Is it nit more important that they have had one year working in a company (between 2nd and 3rd year) or done some placements instead? Maybe have a 1st too showing they could carry in working independently at Uni rather than partying throughout the 3 years??

If in the other side you are recruiting shop floor assistant with an A level, then i can see it will make a difference….

Exactly

and as someone who is also involved in recruitment of grads, it is very easy to put a somewhat glossy image on… you played football after school every Thursday or you worked in local newsagents every Saturday morning in terms of the skills etc you developed as a result!

I do graduate recruitment interviews and the people I've interviewed who have had part time jobs usually fair much better in the interviews as they have more life experiences to draw on for examples when answe questions and they can demonstrate a good work ethic.

I plan to encourage mine to work once they are 16 if they can manage it.

I think it depends a lot on the student- very part time job at the weekend for extra spends and to gain experience, absolutely fine. Summer job after Y12/Christmas seasonal jobs, again usually good. But when the job becomes the priority over studying (and it does in some cases, whether out of financial necessity, or another reason) or there is lots of pressure to take on extra shifts, it does become a problem. I've taught students who ended up missing lessons due to part time jobs etc, and it did impact their performance.

Some students with health conditions, SEN or just other large commitments need to be careful in terms of spreading themselves too thinly. And some sixth form colleges around here have students attending them with very long commutes, which I think is another consideration.

Also, it's worth bearing in mind that some uni courses (eg Vet Med) have very specific expectations around work experience, so it's important to fulfil these before worrying about paid work.

WakingUpDistress Obviously a year in industry is going to be hugely valuable but that isn’t the norm. It’s a ladder of skills. The 16 year old with a Saturday job may well have a better chance of getting the coveted internship at university. There are other ways of getting and demonstrating those skills such as volunteering etc but there are too many students (and their parents) who don’t realise how competitive it is. The degree alone just won’t cut it for lots of grad roles.

Hi yes he gets paid nmw. It’s only about 40 mins a day term time but he gets £80 a month.
I think private schools expect it for free though!

Dd is doing a trial shift today. She is just 16.

If you put work off because of exams then that takes you to about 22 with uni.

Important social development occurs by these ventures. And builds confidence. Good for uni applications

One dd did 4 A levels , both went to RG this and also got term time jobs there. Both graduated near the top of their cohort.working makes you more organised, I'm doing a shift tomorrow so I'll get on and get that homework done tonight.
Obviously if you're struggling to get the grades you need a bit more focus on schoolwork might help, but I know a fair few who did more work than necessary just so they felt they were studying. I think have extra curricular stuff and jobs have helped mine to work smarter, a valuable skill to have when you're in your chosen career..

Everyone, just whip out your money tree like this amazing parent.

My DD 16 works a 4 hour shift in a pub kitchen most weekends, she's doing A-Levels. She would prefer more money, but doesn't want fixed shifts as she has a social life and other commitments. It suits her, on days she's working she has to manage her time, she gets to meet people she wouldn't otherwise, she's gained confidence, she's learning to get on with people and assert herself.

Students who have jobs are generally a lot better at managing their time and their lives than those relying on the bank of mum and dad well into their 20s.

There's a lot to be said about developing a work ethic from a young age. Ours have all had weekend jobs from 16 and work in vacations from university. We didn't need them to work, financially but as a recruiter I'd always value paid work experience over expensive than sports and hobbies which really just indicate family wealth.

Having a job also spurred mine on to work hard at school. They could see that doing work which required little or no qualifications was not something they wanted to do for the rest of their lives.

I think a small part time job can be very good for confidence and maturing and is more than manageable alongside A-levels. Not more than about 8 hours a week though. The exception would be if someone had an exceptionally busy extra curricular schedule in sport, music etc. My kids both had small jobs.

Most teens I know locally have part-time jobs. Most of those parents could fairly easily afford to give them the money instead, but I think it is better for a child's self esteem and parent-teen relations to spend their own money on frivolous items rather than receiving it from parents. They all seem to do more than fine academically!

Getting a part time job is essential to improve employment prospects. They learn SO much from them that will help them in the very competitive grad job market.

I find this the least convincing argument to be honest. Though of course every case is different. Working in a shop or waiting tables is not going to be particularly helpful when they are applying for graduate level jobs. But it doesn't do any harm either - and can also motivate to work towards doing something more skilled.

Getting a part time job is essential to improve employment prospects. They learn SO much from them that will help them in the very competitive grad job market.

nah, it really isn’t. Not even close. And I think that if you said this to any 17 year old studying a levels with even the most elementary understanding of the world we live in… they would look rather 🤔 at you!

Some parents are a bit snobbish about teen jobs. They see them as notfor families like ours’ Ir might reflect a negative view of the kind of jobs that teens get or be something about wanting to 100% provide any money needed as parents.

Really? That isn't my experience locally at all. Many of the families I know are comfortably in the private school/£1 million house/skiing and horse riding bracket. But their kids still have jobs in the local pub or cornershop at weekends.

Our son got a retail job when he was 16 , by A-levels he was a weekend supervisor in the same store and he kept the job all through university - funding his own social life , car etc . In his case it was a very positive thing .

I find this the least convincing argument to be honest. Though of course every case is different. Working in a shop or waiting tables is not going to be particularly helpful when they are applying for graduate level jobs.

Worked in HE and grad recruitment sector for years and I can say confidently that this is absolutely not true.

Grad recruiters are generally not impressed by candidates who have nothing on the CV. Spending a couple of years doing bar-work, or waiting tables shows a good work ethic.

I'd always recommend getting a job.