Part time jobs whilst in 6th Form

[Horsemad]

DH doesn't want DS1 to have a weekend/holiday job whilst in 6th form as he wants him to be able to concentrate on his studies more.

I disagree and think apart from the money, it equips the student with time management skills, social skills etc.

DS is quite happy to take DH's money and not work!

School didn't help; at the 6th form open evening they advised against them having jobs.

[orderinformation]

I was allowed to work Saturdays and one evening per week. I was so cross at my parents because that rules me out of the new tesco near us that demanded a Saturday and two evenings per week but in retrospect it was absolutely right.

It allowed me to save enough to go on holiday that summer with friends and the summer post a levels and also to have about £600 to take to uni with me (in late 90s) which I blew in the first half term

Also made getting a summer job post a level a lot easier as I had experience.

[pyrrah]

There's a big difference between 'work experience' in terms of helping out at a vets or shadowing some consultants and having a weekend/evening job in the local supermarket.

When I was at GS, I was allowed jobs in the summer holidays from GCSE onwards, but not during other holidays (was a boarder so weekends/evenings weren't an option). However I did do work experience during other holidays - archaeological digs or museums (was applying for Arch and Anth).

[Ireallymustbemad]

Also having spent years interviewing for the graduate training scheme of a big 4 accountant, I would agree that we preferred candidates with part time work experience over those with no work history.

[motherstongue]

Pyrrha, my DS is a boarder too which does add to the problem of getting part time work as obviously you can't work during term time. Ireally have you found it has put boarders at a disadvantage due to lack of opportunity when you have been recruiting?

[SacreBlue]

My DS has worked p/t jobs since primary and though we live in the city it was actually being a country girl and digging spuds for 50p a crate that made me keen for him to be earning & learning about work & money.

He is a gamer (I am assuming pc hours = gaming for your DS) and was offered a job online as an admin for a gaming server. He couldn't take it up this year as he's under 16 but there are obviously opportunities out there for tech minded kids that can marry never leaving their pc with earning a bit of money (proper money btw £7 per hr so a lot more than minimum wage for their age)

Other jobs my DS had/has are extras work for tv, voice overs for radio, minding neighbours cats, labouring (my favourite as he is learning valuable DIY skills) and (his least favourite) babysitting for friends and relations.

Working during uni will be the norm for many kids and I don't think it's unreasonable to start them off with sporadic or p/t stuff at school.

[Horsemad]

I agree with you all!

Am going to mention all your valid points to both DS & DH. Of course, if DH & MIL keep chucking money at him he'll never have any incentive, will he?

[Fairdene]

Mine work/ worked on average 8 hours one day each weekend and one to two eight hour days during the Easter holidays, May and October half terms and the summer (actually more in the summer). More than that and I would have probably blanched.

Secretscwirrels I don't think there's a magic number of hours to successfully pass exams, each student is different. But only having four hours to spare for other stuff (pleasure or work) does sound as though the ship is being run pretty tight.

[ontheallotment]

If a dc decides to go straight into employment rather than university then having some previous employment record becomes massively advantageous. Dd had a competency based interview for her apprenticeship and without having experience of previous employment & volunteering jobs to draw on the questions would have been very difficult to answer. I guess if a dc goes to university then internships etc whilst there replace the benefits of sixth form work to an extent, though I still think sixth form employement helps them develop life skills and is a good idea.

[Sparklegeek]

I have been on & on at DS1 (just about to start Year 11) about thinking about some sort of paid or voluntary work for uni applications & also for all the other reasons stated on this thread. His difficulty is that his one extra curricular activity, which he loves, is football, & that involves training until midday on Saturdays & matches at any time up to 2pm on Sundays - so weekend jobs are out!

I have come up with the idea of him trying to get some work doing 11 plus tuition. We live in a grammar area so lots of 11 plus candidates. I thought if he only charged half the going proper tutor rate & advertised himself as having come in top place in the borough when he sat his eleven plus, he may be able to pick up an hour or two after school?

Do you think this is worth pursuing or would you be put off by the fact that he's not a proper tutor or CRB-checked etc?

[titchy]

I wouldn't sparkle - I'd have thought most parents have too much riding on the 11+ to let an inexperienced adult tutor their kids, let alone a child. What would happen if one of his tutees failed?

Can he babysit? Or do voluntary work helping at cubs or an after school football club for primary kids?

[bigbluebus]

DS's 6th form recommended that students work a maximum of 10hrs pw in part time jobs. Chances of getting DS off his computer and out to look for a job are slim .
He, too, has spent a large part of his 10 week holiday sitting in a dark room in front of a screen, Fortunately, someone he knows offered him some gardening work so he has at least earned some money and ventured out into the sunlight a couple of days a week.
I do worry about how they will fit in all their study, especially if DS decided to due DofE Gold Award, which they do in 6th form at his school - although that will involve voluntary work, but doesn't help him to learn about money! He also doesn't go out, so overheads are low - but we pay for his PAYG phone and his gym membership as well as clothes and toiletries. Would be nice if he could continue to earn some cash though.

[Sparklegeek]

He already does the cubs volunteering titchy But I am guessing just that combined with weekend football isn't going to wow uni admissions people!

Plenty of children fail the 11 plus & there isn't any comeback on the tutor - they don't guarantee a pass. I do get what you are saying about inexperience though, that was my concern. I was hoping he may appeal to parents who perhaps can't afford the £20-£25 an hour for a qualified teacher. But maybe those parents would just do the tutoring themselves?

[titchy]

Tbh that sounds fine for university purposes sparkle! As long as his academics are sound, doing some voluntary work and being involved in a sports team shows he is a rounded individual, a team player and has good time management skills. That's all they really need, even for super-competitive courses.

[Ireallymustbemad]

motherstongue - not really as long as they have had jobs in holidays. The most important thing was that they don't just sit around but do something valuable with their time. So clubs etc are all better than nothing.

I remember a Cambridge uni student I interviewed who declared that he couldn't possibly work in the uni holidays as "you do need a rest after 8 weeks at Cambridge you know". He didn't go through to the second round...

[secretscwirrels]

Sparklegeek re the tutoring.
DS1 did some unpaid revision help last year for one or two friends. Feedback from their parents was very good, in fact one offered to pay him to teach her DD. He has had several other friends ask him to help with A level maths. However he has now got proper work, (CRB'd ) at the local Kumon centre.
I think if you call it "coaching" or homework help it might work. Some people are very prickly about youngsters calling themselves tutors.

[Sparklegeek]

That's a really good point secret, will get him to not put 'tutoring' on any flyers he produces if he decides to do it. Coaching is a good alternative or even just 'help with technique'.

Thanks for that reassurance titchy, I was beginning to think they need to be some super-human activities coming out of their ears all-rounder to even get any offers! I read so much about Grade 8 Violin, D of E Gold Awards, voluntary school-building in Africa etc....not too sure whether the D of E do an award in X Box or if you can get Grade 8 PCing

[Horsemad]

Lol @ Grade 8 PCing!!

[Fairdene]

Sparklegeek for the most competitive courses at the most competitive unis it's an absolute given that the bulk of the 4000 characters allowed for the personal statement is given over to academics, not extra curriculars. Even those with the most extraordinary list of extra curricular achievements have to squeeze them into three or four lines. Don't worry about it too much. The most competitive unis have also taken time out to insist publicly they couldn't give a fig about extra curriculars. I'm not referring to just Oxford and Cambridge either, others insist they share the same view. Playing for England or GB still probably counts but the point at which it makes a difference is remarkably high. Better to let teenagers be teenagers and not straitjacket them into playing the flute or chess if that isn't their thing.

[Fairdene]

Cross post. I find that odd Maryz. The highest achievers tend to do masses of other stuff to. Very sad if they're chained to their desks by whatever imperative.

[Fairdene]

It sounds a terrible system Maryz. No interviews?

[secretscwirrels]

I don't think it's that different here Maryz for the most academic courses at top unis. It's the grades and a wide interest in the subject that matters. Flute playing irrelevant.