Should Indian teenagers take up part time jobs?
By: Somya Mishra
Taking a part time job is one of the most common habits found in teenagers living in foreign countries. It is a very usual thing for a student living in top-rated countries like USA, Canada and Australia. But why is it not so common in India? Will the enhancement of this culture in India lead to its betterment? Or will it not work in a developing country like ours? Here are my thoughts and take on "Should Indian Teenagers take up part time jobs like teenagers in foreign countries?"
Taking up a part time job can benefit a student in many ways. Not only can it help you in taking one step forward to becoming independent but it may also teach you the value of each penny that you earn. Of course, teaching you the importance of hard work cannot be an exception to its benefits. Other than adding these values to your life, working part time may also provide you with an exposure to the outside world. Let us take an example of a student working as a waiter in a restaurant. Apart from earning some money while studying, he also gets a chance to meet new kinds of people daily while learning to deal with them at the same time. This is an experience that might help him in his corporate life in the future. He also gets a hind of what the future holds for him and how he has to deal with clients, bosses, etc.
In India, petty jobs like that of a salesman, waiter, etc. are often looked down upon by common people. If students in India start taking up small jobs as a part time in large numbers, then the mindset of people can also be introduced to a change. This might lead to the normalisation of such jobs and people might start seeing those jobs with a bit more respect.
But the real questions that arise here is, is it possible for the students in India to find a part time job as easily as the students in foreign countries do? Is it plausible for the students in India to manage such a job along with their studies?
According to me, there are many downsides to this culture. There is no doubt in the fact that it gives the students a sense of independence and prepares them to deal with the perils of future. But if you consider the population and demand of jobs in India, it is a very challenging task for a student to find a job here. Employers in India generally prioritise full time workers who have no other commitments over part time ones. Moreover, if all the students start taking up jobs, then due to lack of jobs in India, the people with actual economic reasons seeking a job might not get one. This might debar a person in actual need of a job from earning for a living.
Moreover, the workload that Indian students face in their schools or colleges makes managing a job simultaneously, next to impossible. Some colleges and schools in India have a daily class hour of 9-10 hours. Most institutions also expect its students to complete some tasks at home, leaving no time for them to do justice to a part time job. There is a wide gap between the amount of pressure that Indian students face and that the students of other countries do. Such factors might make the experience of a part time job tedious and hectic for a student.
