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Part-time jobs – A Blessing or a Curse?
Whether having a part-time job has long been a hot topic discussed among teenagers.
The legal working age in Hong Kong is 16 and some teens might see this as an
opportunity to earn money or to gain some work experience. While some may sing
the praises of it, others frown upon this idea, claiming that it brings more harm than
good. In this essay, both the positives and negatives of having a part-time job will be
explored.
One of the drawbacks of working a part-time job is that it brings negative effects on
students’ academic performance. A recent study done by the City University of Hong
Kong found that teenagers worked a part-time job receiving lower grades than those
who did not. The finding, in fact, is not astonishing at all. It is not uncommon that
teens who take a part-time job have to work for at least 13 to 20 hours or even more
per week. However, an average high school student in Hong Kong does face loads of
work, including countless homework, tests and exams. It is especially true for those
S5 and S6 students who have to prepare for an important public examination, DSE.
Their heavy workload is already so overwhelming that they are unable to get
sufficient sleep, not to mention to squeeze some time to do exercise. If they still opt
for working a part-time job, they may put both their physical and mental health at
risk. Take my sister as an example. Being a S6 student this year, she once revealed
that she had never thought of taking up a part-time job as she had to spare no effort to
get promising results in the DSE exams. Failing to do so, according to her, amounted
to losing the chance of getting into a prestigious university. As most senior secondary
students are already under immense study pressure, they are always discouraged them
from working a part-time job.
Another drawback of teens working part-time jobs is that they may fall into astray
easily, for instance drug abuse and alcoholism. Owing to the fact that it is hard for
them to strike a balance between school and work, they may turn to substance abuse
or alcohol addiction. A research done by the Hong Kong University revealed that 37%
of teens who had a part-time job took drugs and heavily indulged in alcohol
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consumption. Similarly, a report released by the Hong Kong Children and Youth
Services showed that over the past five years, the number of teens who struggled with
substance abuse and alcohol addiction was at an all-time high, 10 teenagers in 1000
students struggled with either of these problems. Meanwhile they found that the
majority of these students worked a part-time job. There is no wonder that people tend
to associate working a part-time job with drug abuse and alcohol addiction and thus
they strongly oppose students to do so.
Although the drawbacks discussed may discourage teens from working a part-time
job, we should not ignore the benefits it brings.
The first positive of having a part-time job is that it helps sharpen students’ financial
skills. It goes without saying that schools do not have a thorough curriculum teaching
students how to manage their money properly. That’s explains why many teenagers
spend their money unwisely, buying something unnecessary and even spending a
fortune on brand clothes, luxury items, technology or even alcohol. On the contrary, a
teen who works a part-time job is mindful about the importance of financial
management. They tend to be cautious about their monthly spending, rather than
spending it all in one go.
Another positive impact is that part-time jobs demonstrate the importance of
reliability, discipline, and time management. They will lose their jobs if they do not
behave well and obey the regulations in the workplace. In this regard, teens who work
a part-time job may become more reliable and disciplined.
Last but not least, teens who work a part-time job can experience the real world. As
an ordinary teenager studying in a local school, I can vouch that most schools in Hong
Kong do not offer much guidance on future career prospects. The education system of
Hong Kong only places emphasis on memorizing great literature by heart, doing hard
calculations in our heads and preparing for examinations. We are seldom exposed to
real work experience. In this regard, teenagers who work a part-time job may gain a
clearer insight into their future career paths. They get the first-hand experience in a
workplace and understand if they are suitable for working in a specific field in the
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future. In this way, part-time jobs would be an eye-opening experience for young
people.
To sum up, working a part-time job can be both a blessing and a curse. Although I
have not worked a part-time job, I still think it brings more good than harm as it offers
teenagers a good chance to broaden their horizons and to step out of their comfort
zone. Should they be able to strike a balance between study and work, why not give it
a try? After all, it is vital for teens to constantly strive to improve themselves before
stepping into society.