Part-time Jobs vs. Holiday Jobs

You’re working your way through university or college, and you need some money… The last thing you want to do is get a job that requires lots of time and will affect your studies.

Y ou know you have to get a student job, but a new dilemma hits you. Do you work during term-time and get a part-time job? Although part-time jobs are popular and fairly easy to come by, there is the possibility that it will affect both your studies and your socialising. There is nothing worse than having to work on a Friday night when all your mates are ready to go out and have some fun.

OK, so there are problems with part-time jobs – but what are your other options? Holiday jobs could be the answer. You have a few months off over the summer. You’re probably going to be back home, and have fewer things to do. With some full-time work over a few weeks you could save enough money to last you a few extra months when you go back to your college or university. What are the other benefits of holiday jobs?

Holiday Job Benefits

1. Opportunity to get some work experience – if you are with a big company that has permanent vacancies available, they may well ask you to come back after your studies.

2. Opportunity to build up your CV – holiday jobs allow you to show a potential employer that you have had experience, and have gained an understanding of that industry, or have gained some knowledge that may be relevant for your new position.

3. A n opportunity for you to try a few different jobs to see what you are most interested in and what career most suits you.

4. Frequently a full-time holiday job will pay a weekly or monthly wage. This could easily work out better than an hourly part-time job rate, so with any job this is worth checking out!

5. O k, you may be doing more hours, but full-time holiday jobs will always pay more than part-time jobs! Most of us will agree that a bigger pay cheque is a good thing.

Part-time Job Benefits

1. One of the greatest things about a part-time job is that it doesn’t have to take over your life. A couple of evening shifts here or there leaves you plenty of time to do the things you want to do.

2. Part-time jobs frequently involve work where you can earn more than your basic hourly wage. Part-time jobs such as bar work, waitering, etc. in general pay a pretty standard rate. Take into account tips and bonuses (and maybe food and drink) and all of a sudden the pay becomes pretty good! This is something you want to look into before taking any job.

3. Part-timers have the same legal rights as full-timers nowadays. This means that no employer can discriminate against you for only working a few hours a week. Check in the job description for entitlements such as holiday pay, sick pay, bonuses and other perks.

4. N ever underestimate the savings you are going to make by taking a part-time job! This is one of the biggest mistakes people make. They say: “Fifty pounds a week is not going to be enough for the way I want to live”. If you’re getting fifty pounds a week for doing two evening shifts in a pub or bar, this is two evenings that you can’t go out and spend any money. So not only are you earning extra cash, you’re also saving money by not being able to spend any.

5. Working over the holidays means you have less time for holidays – part-time jobs may take a few hours during your term, but at least you’ll have the whole holidays to do what you want to do.

If you do end up with the dilemma of choosing a part-time job or a holiday job always make sure of a few things. For a lot of people there is no choice between part-time jobs and holiday jobs – and having to do both is a harsh reality. With proper research and a bit of luck anyone can get a job that they will both enjoy and earn reasonable money from.

(Abridged from the site http://www.e4s.co.uk/docs/part-time-jobs.htm)

Discuss

• Are you planning to have any part-time or summer job? Is it going to be related to your specialization? Why?/Why not?

• What is the most important thing to keep in mind when choosing a job: your interests and ambitions, your skills and abilities, your preferences or something else?

Focus on language

1. Match the words in column A with their definitions in column B. Refer back to the text if necessary. Translate them into your native language.

A	B
benefit	privileges granted to an employee by a company or corporation
tip	pay given to an employee who is away from work because of illness
perks	pay given to an employee who is on a holiday or vacation
b onus	an amount of money paid at regular intervals
holiday pay	a small present of money for a service given or expected
wage	a way of referring to the amount of money that you earn
pay cheque	a kind of award to employees beyond their normal pay
sick pay	advantage

2. Match the verbs in A with the nouns in B. Some verbs can go with more than one noun.

A	B
to get	cash
to affect	job
to save	studies
to have	knowledge
to gain	experience
to take	shifts
to do	money
to earn

3. Read the sentence from the text. What does the verb phrase in bold mean?

• If you do end up with the dilemma of choosing a part-time job or a holiday job always make sure of a few things…

Multi-word verbs (verbs with prepositions and particles) Many English verbs can be followed by prepositions or adverb particles. These combinations are rather like multi-word verbs. They are often called ‘phrasal verbs’. Some phrasal verbs are idiomatic, i.e. the meaning of the verb and particle together is sometimes different from the separate literal meanings of the verb and the particle. e.g. You’d better look up this word in a dictionary. (a literal meaning = to look for information in a dictionary) e.g. Everyone looks up to Robert because he always makes time to help others. (idiomatic meaning = to admire or respect) e.g. I’m looking forward to summer vacation. (idiomatic meaning = to be thinking with pleasure about sth that is going to happen (because you expect to enjoy it)

4. Match the highlighted phrasal verbs in the text with their meanings.

• to find out if sth is correct

• to become bigger or more important than sth else or to replace sth

• to create or develop sth

• to find out by reasoning or calculation

• to do sth from beginning to end, especially when it takes a lot of time or effort

• to return

• to examine sth

• to leave your house to go to a social event

• to manage to get sth

• to be finally in a particular place or situation

5. Replace the verbs in italics by the suitable phrasal verbs from the box below. Put letters L if the meaning is literal or I if it is idiomatic. Use a dictionary if necessary.

break down come across pick up work out(2) check out find out drop out of catch up with sb be fed up with put up with fall back (with sth)

1. My roommate answered the phone as I was having a shower.

2. This printer isn’t working properly. Do you think you could have a look at it?

3. I’m so tired of your being always late for classes. I’m not going to tolerate it any longer.

4. I’ve recently discovered that I’m pretty good at memorizing complex formulae.

5. She was very much surprised when she found this rare insect in the park.

6. These days more and more people do physical exercise to be fit and strong.

7. Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll find a solution to this problem.

8. He is so upset because if he fails the reexamination he will definitely be excluded from the college.

9. Oh, I’m afraid, I’ve failed to do the task before the deadline.

10. If this device stops working again I won’t finish doing my observations today.

11. I’ve missed so many lectures on this subject through my illness, now I have to work really hard to keep pace with my fellow students.

Listening

1. Y ou are going to hear four students telling about their part-time and summer jobs. Work with your partner to figure out what the following phrases mean. Use a dictionary if necessary.

working culture vital skills

flexible schedule pressure periods

previous training plenty of stamina

mature student intense study

vocational experience

2. Listen to the students and tell what jobs they are doing.

3. Listen again and complete the chart.

	Student 1	Student 2	Student 3	Student 4
Job responsibilities
Special training or skills required
Hours
Salary

Comprehension check

1. Answer the questions.

1. What is ‘the cheesy part’ of the job of a flight attendant that passengers usually see?

2. What benefits does a flight attendant have?

3. Why are students advised to think twice before getting a part-time job?

4. Why is it a good idea to try and find a job related to the subject you are studying?

2. Match the words in A with the words in B to make as many phrases as possible. Translate them into your native language.

A				B
a source				shifts
to dress		of		a job
t o be good				money
student-run		for		smartly
to work/do/cover				numbers
to apply		with		newspaper

Get real

Search the Internet for more summer or part-time jobs for students. Find the job you would like to do best of all. Tell the class about it and see how many people would also like to do it. Follow the guidelines:

• Name of the job

• Duties involved

• Personal qualities required

• Skills and qualifications required

• Advantages of the job

• Possible disadvantages of the job

Reading

1. Work in 4 groups. Choose to read one of the advertisements (A, B, C or D) for holiday and part-time jobs. Take notes to answer the questions.

• What does the job involve doing?

• What kind of personality the employers are looking for?

• Does the job require any special training or qualifications?

• What does the advertisement say about working hours and salary?

• What skills would you develop in this job?

• What should you do next if you are interested in the job?

2. Discuss what you have read with your fellow students from the other groups.

A. The Dolphin Institute Are you fascinated by whales and dolphins? Then sign up for a fun short-term participant program in Hawaii! There is a great opportunity to research whales while living in Maui. As a participant, you will assist with behavioral observations of the whales from our research vessel and shore station, attend a variety of educational lectures. The program activities also include writing papers and presenting findings. It's a unique and exciting educational and hands-on experience! Researchers and participants live together in a house on Maui island near the study site. It's easy to sign up for the Surveying Maui's Humpback Whales project! Fill out the application form and mail to: The Dolphin Institute, P.O. Box 700694, Kapolei, HI 96709. A $200 deposit is required to reserve a single space on a two-week team.

B. Campaign to Save the Environment Do you want to make a difference? Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and work on the most pressing environmental issues of our generation? Environmental Campaign Staff – work on behalf of the nation’s most progressive environmental groups – like the Sierra Club, the State PIRGs and Environmental Action – to protect the Arctic Refuge, fight global warming, and defend the Clean Air Act. Earn $4000-6000 over the summer, learn valuable skills and make this country a safer, healthier and more democratic place to live in. Responsibilities include raising money, educating the public about pressing environmental issues, recruiting new members to increase the political power of these organizations, and collecting and sending petition and postcard signatures to Congress and other political leaders as well as organizing press conferences. Applicants must be hard-working, have excellent communication skills and be motivated to making positive social change. To apply mail to: obsthatmatter@ffpir.org

C. Ski Resort Jobs Do you like meeting new people from all over the world? Would you like to live, work and play in a state that averages over 300 days of sunshine per year? Well if you answered yes to any of these questions, then welcome to Heavenly, Lake Tahoe's premier winter playground! Amazing views of Lake Tahoe, combined with enthusiastic and dependable employees, makes Heavenly one of the greatest places to work in the world. Our guests rank Heavenly as having some of the most helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, and customer-oriented employees in the resort industry. Please take time to explore our employment website and see what Ski Heavenly has to offer! To apply mail to: Heavenly Human Resources PO Box 2180 Stateline, NV 89449 Feel free to attach a resume and cover letter to your application.

D. Summer Camp Jobs Working at a summer camp is just fun! Who wouldn't want to spend the day swimming, shooting bows and arrows and telling ghost stories around camp fires? All camp employees need a genuine love of working with kids. Cottontail Ranch is a summer residence camp and group retreat in Malibu Canyon, California. Traditional camp activities like horseback riding, rock climbing, fishing, hiking, tennis, photography, dance and drama combine with surfing, water-skiing, mountain biking and trips to Disney World and Magic Mountain to make Cottontail a unique camp experience. Pay: Varies, most $195 per week. Food and Lodging: Room and Board provided. Applicants are required to have First Aid certification. Email: cottontail@earthlink.net

Speaking

1. Talk to your partner. Express your opinion of each job by choosing information from columns A, B, and C.

A	B	C
Being a ski instructor		fantastic
Working as hotel staff	seems	prestigious
Working in the resort industry		a good start
Working with or/and entertaining children	is definitely	very challenging quite manageable
Being on a participant program in Hawaii	must be	motivating monotonous
Making behavioral observations of marine animals	sounds	nerve-racking demanding
Teaching photography/surfing/rock climbing to children	could be	pretty difficult really rewarding
Participating in the Environmental Campaign	would be	boring

2. Following the models below discuss what kind of people would be best suited for a particular job. Use the words and phrases from the box.

well-organised	active	calm
sensitive	unemotional	self-confident
hard-working	creative	careful
helpful	friendly	customer oriented
outgoing personality	responsible good at analysing	concerned with detail able to work without
enthusiastic about new tasks	situations/working with other people/kids/	supervision

Roleplay

1. You want one of the jobs advertised above. Make notes of the things you want to know about the job. Write your questions here:

• ____________________________________________?

• ____________________________________________?

2. T elephone the office for information. In pairs take turns at being the student and the Personnel Officer. Ask about the job and arrange to meet for the interview. Make use of the diagram and the phrases from the box.

Functional language: On the phone You Office stuff Can I have extension 321? Hello. Could I speak to Frank Dawson? This is Paul Smith speaking. I’m calling about … Hold the line, please. I’m putting you through. Speaking (= I am …) Who's calling, please? Can I have your name, please?

A		B
P hone the contact number
		Answer the phone
Introduce yourself and say why you are calling
		Find out applicant’s full name, age and other personal information/details
Give all necessary information
		Find out why the applicant would like to do this job
Explain why you are interested in the job
		Suggest an applicant to come for an interview
Agree
Agree. Confirm details		Suggest the day and the time
Say “thank you” and end the call		End the call

Writing

W rite a letter to a friend about the summer job you’re going to do or a part time job you are doing. The questions below may be of help.

• How did you find the job?

• How did you apply?

• What are your duties and responsibilities?

• Which of your personal qualities help you to do the job?

• Do you need any special skills and qualifications for the job?

• What do you like most about the job? Are there any problems with it?

In the Realm of Jobs

Many advertisers use abbreviations in their classified advertisements in newspapers for one purpose - to save money. The less space they use, the cheaper the advertisement will be. The following list of abbreviations can be found in the Positions Vacant columns of most newspapers. Remember what they mean.

p.t. posn	part-time position
f. time	flexible time/hours
pd. wkly	paid weekly
cap. person reqd	capable person required
sal. neg	salary negotiable
approx 20hrs p.w	approximately 20 hours per week
stdnt	student
prom. oppty	promotion opportunity
trng. incl	training included
techncl. exp. nec	technical experience necessary
intvw	interview
temp. reqd	temporary required
exper. essent	experience is essential
char. refs. nec.	characteristics references necessary
excel. conds	excellent conditions
ph. for appt	telephone for appointment
Pers. dept	Personnel department
bus. hrs., B/H	during business hours

Unit 1. Progress Monitoring In this Unit you have worked on the vocabulary related to the topic “Job and Career Options” to earn/save money excellent source of money to work long/flexible hours/shifts to have experience/previous training to be prepared to meet deadlines to have good communication skills to gain work experience to apply for a job develop knowledge/creativity/skills job responsibilities/duties challenging/demanding/prestigious/ well-organized/ careful/ nerve-racking/monotonous/ rewarding/motivating self-confident/ /hard-working/ active/creative/responsible to require special training/ skills/ qualifications/personal qualities wage/salary/tips/bonuses/perks/ sick pay a ‘cheesy’ part of a job take orders from others Tick (V) the points you are confident about and cross (X) the ones you need to revise.

Unit 2 The Skillful Me!

Lead In

1. R ead the entry of the word ‘intern’ from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary and discuss the questions below.

• What do you think a job of an intern involves doing?

• Do you think it is well or badly paid?

• Where would you like to work as an intern?

• What valuable practical experience can you get working as an intern?

Reading

1. Read the article and check your guesses about internship.