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Secondary education

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Original poster

A levels and part time working

24 replies

minesawine · 25/08/2017 07:05

Hi I was about to start preparing my DS's CV in the hope he could pick up some part time work. However at A Level enrolment i was told that he shouldn't work as his studies would take up so much time. He is studying maths, Physics and Economics.

Are any of your DC's planning on finding jobs during 6th form or are they just focussing on studies.

OP posts:
Ocies · 25/08/2017 07:09

My dc both had jobs whilst studying A levels. Their sixth form college advised that about 8 hours a week was appropriate.

bruffin · 25/08/2017 07:11

Most schools in our area so no mire than 10 hours a week.
Both ds and dd work/ worked.
Ds was a lifeguard and dd did respite care / babyvsittingand worked in a sen playscheme

Zodlebud · 25/08/2017 07:36

A few hours a week work would be fine e.g. A Saturday job but no more.

Also, he's 16. He needs to be putting together his own CV........

SandyDenny · 25/08/2017 07:43

It should be perfectly possible to combine a part time job with A levels, I don't understand why schools and colleges say not too.

7 or 8 hours a week is hardly going to make much difference and having some work experience is a valuable thing for future CVs

It's perfectly normal to help a 16 year old with something they haven't done before and you have experience with, stupid to not help your children get on in their lives if you can.

Malbecfan · 25/08/2017 09:47

DD1 did 4 - 5 hours a week working in a shop (Sunday afternoons) and dance lessons all morning on a Saturday in year 13. The shop closes for the winter at the end of October and re-opened at the start of March so she had time off for mocks. She took 5 A levels this summer and did really well.

I think knowing that you are expected at work at a certain time means that you can be more organised. For example, we had an hour between dance and lunch on a Saturday so she would write a timed essay or study a block of work. Sunday mornings were peak study time as she could get a 3 hour stretch of time before work.

I agree with PPs that you shouldn't be writing their CV. By all means proof-read it and offer constructive criticism but they need to do it themselves.

RedHelenB · 25/08/2017 09:51

Dd 1 only got a job in Nov of a level year but it's done her the world of good 're money and budget so I'm sure she will cope at uni. Dd2 is now working at the same place and starting a levels in Sept. They are long days but they pick when they want to work which is good.

Janus · 25/08/2017 09:52

Mine has worked 11 hours a week in first year, she will be quitting soon though so she can spend the last 6 months really concentrating on exams, we will give her an allowance and she's hoping to do a bit of babysitting so once the children are in bed she can revise a bit. She's done well in AS Levels but I want to feel that she had as much time as possible for the actual exams.

noblegiraffe · 25/08/2017 10:35

Students used to take 4 subjects in Y12 and still have time for a job so of course he'll have time with 3.

Knottyash5 · 25/08/2017 10:38

I had a Saturday job throughout my A levels and got 3 As.

If my dc was needed to put together a CV I would give them mine as a template and get them to do the first draft and then work through it with them.

TheSecondOfHerName · 25/08/2017 10:41

DS1 (doing 3 A-levels) works 4 hours a week, which is about right for him. His sixth form suggest working no more than eight hours a week.

Teenageromance · 25/08/2017 12:22

Apparently those who have a job during a levels score better than those who don't. Improves their time management.

GoodMorning1 · 25/08/2017 12:31

Going back 20 years... My Head of Sixth Form was v anti part time work but lots of us ignored him and had Sat jobs anyway. I learnt far more about life and work from my Sat job than I did from my A-levels. I was regularly late for Sixth Form and got mildly told off by teachers and just kept being late. A colleague was regularly late for his Sat job and got the sack. I was never late for work after that!

Why are you writing his CV for him? Help him if he needs helps but don't do it for him! Has his school not taught him how to do a CV?

Jivebunny89 · 25/08/2017 12:33

It's all about balance. He will reach an age where an employer will look to him to take on more responsibilities, and he will feel depended on to cover shifts.
I took on way too much work at that age and wish that I had a commitment such as a hobby so there was no way I'd work the Sunday night shift or whatever.
He's picked some challenging A-Level subjects where a result really matters to get ahead. If he wants a small job it shouldn't impact his studies too much.

Allthebestnamesareused · 25/08/2017 13:07

If he is going to be motivated enough to do the work required for 3 quite tough A levels and hold down a job surely he can be preparing his own CV in his summer holidays. Just a thought.

BubblesBuddy · 25/08/2017 13:14

Lots of young people who want to be Doctors have to volunteer or work for many weeks to get relevant experience whilst doing their A levels. I would see when the job is, what hours are required, and how much effort will be required to do it. Many young people work in cafes for one day of the weekend, but not both days. Holiday jobs are a useful alternative - if you can get one! I agree he should write his CV. Just show him a good template.

chelseahotel · 25/08/2017 15:52

There is a happy medium.
Both of mine did four science / maths A levels, got top grades and worked part time. However they only worked 4 or 5 hours a week.
It was good work experience, good for the cv and learning soft skills and is useful for something to talk about in interviews.

However they also had friends who had jobs where they ended up working all weekend and some evenings which had a knock on effect on their studies.

The important thing is to find an employer who doesn't put pressure on them to work extra hours. Better still casual (zero hours) contracts are perfect for students. They can drop them at exam time.

If he's doing maths the local Kumon centre is a good place to try. One of mine did that and also went back to it in uni holidays.

Allthebestnamesareused There is some skill in writing a CV. I was surprised to find it had never been mentioned at school so I helped both of my DC when it came to job applications / CVs. It may seem like common sense but I have done recruitment and know there are many pitfalls.

BackforGood · 25/08/2017 23:06

Agree it is all about balance.
Agree it probably isn't good to be doing 3 shifts working late into the night each week, but working a couple of short shifts, or one longer evening or one day at the weekend will do them the world of good.
It is about time management.
This is where zero hour contracts can be fab - pick up work when you have a bit more time, and don't take it when you are struggling.
You can even work whilst babysitting if you are lucky enough to have families where the dc sleep Smile.
Some things you can just work a shift or two a month - lifeguarding, or the big commercial catering places that cater for big events like sports fixture, and have loads of people on their books and the first 100 to text back work that shift, etc.

BackforGood · 25/08/2017 23:07

Oh, also agree he needs to be preparing his CV, not you.

crazycatgal · 25/08/2017 23:10

I did around 8 hours a week when doing my A levels and work didn't affect my studies. I think a job with this amount of hours would be fine and he could always quit if his studies were impacted negatively.

Buttercupsandaisies · 25/08/2017 23:12

Easily manage to work. I got straight A at A level and went on to do a science degree having worked 6pm-2am 3 nights a week at Maccies from age 16. Easily done if not work shy.

I worked 15 hours per week throughput my degree too. It's very hard to get a job after graduating as it is - having no work experience will make it even harder

Floralnomad · 25/08/2017 23:16

My ds went to a grammar school and they always advised not working . Ds got a pt job just after he started in sixth form and worked in retail on Saturday / Sunday and Thursday evening . He was doing computing / English lit / geography and business studies and got A*s and Bs . He was however never renowned for doing much school work , he only ever did the absolute minimum . By the end of A levels he was a supervisor at his job.

RaskolnikovsGarret · 26/08/2017 05:22

DD's sixth form recommends no more than 5 hours a week, and only on a Saturday. But they all have to do 4 a levels (a fair few are doing 5, or in one case, 6!).

DD has picked up some tutoring work. Don't know whether she will also get a more traditional Saturday job too.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 03/09/2017 20:46

My nephew hasn't done as well in his A levels as he thought he would and I don't know whether that's because they assumed if he got an A in GCSE then he'd get an A in A level. Or whether it's because he got a job and does quite a lot of hours in it as well as socialising on top of that.

DD is applying for a job now as she wants to save up for learning to drive and for going to uni. She's not wanting anything on a weekday eve apart from Fri and hopes she'll find somewhere that wants someone on a Sat or a Sun so she can have plenty of time free for homework and revision.

goodbyestranger · 03/09/2017 22:19

Floralnomad my kids all went to a grammar and had jobs and no-one at school ever advised not working. It's perfectly do-able and good in every way.

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