Anisha tells us 'how' and 'why' we should value working at the same time as studying. From reluctantly adorning reindeer antlers as a seasonal retail worker, to getting to write these (hopefully helpful) monthly blogs, I’ve dabbled in quite a bit of work whilst being a full time student. With that said, here are my top two tips on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ you should value having a job whilst studying. Be proactive! I started writing for Push after getting in touch with the team in the summer before I started the dreaded Year Thirteen. Throughout my sixth form, I had access to the Push weekly emails, and was drawn a lot to the blog topics. Not only were they relevant, but extremely helpful with sufficient tips on how to best navigate the unknown realm of higher education. Whilst I soon learnt that there was no one to answer all my questions, the newsletter certainly acted as a good map. I followed this curiosity a little further. After emailing with a few sample articles I had published previously, and scoping out how my skills could be a good addition to the team, the ball started to roll. Of course, having experience always boosts job prospects, but sometimes it can seem like a vicious circle. No experience? No job. No job? No experience. I was able to convey to the team how much I connected to the core values and work of what Push does. When you are joining a team or company, it’s in the interest of both parties to hold similar objectives. Conveying this enthusiasm and passion for a job, as well as knowing how to talk about the soft skills of other activities is equally, and perhaps even more, beneficial, as prior experience. What about ‘student life,’ I hear you say… Yes, the ‘real’ world of jobs seems so far away. There are exams to be revising for, parties to join, friends to make, and a whole host of literally anything else you could possibly be doing. Having a part time job, however, brings some great advantages to it. You learn from an earlier stage how to manage your time and money. I know, such an adult thing, right? But these are skills in themselves. Being a little financially independent is such a great tool for self empowerment. This is one of the main differences to volunteering, as I wrote about in a blog this summer. Amongst all of this, it’s also important to balance the other roles or activities which you invest in, or simply enjoy. Being a student ambassador for Push allows me to use my own experience and hopefully guide others in their decisions. The skills I learn from writing these monthly blogs are innumerable, and go hand in hand with other positions I have (like tutoring) and are most certainly going to be useful in the future. Whilst some of the experiences I’ve had in the paying job world have been more directly aligned to my particular interests and passions, there have certainly been some on the more soul sucking side. Working for larger companies, doing retail tasks which seem robotic or mechanical like at the time, are also important to experience. Sometimes, folding clothes for hours on end may not seem like the best use of your time. Other times, the internship you’ve always wanted may not be all that (excel spreadsheet sneaks its way into one’s dreams and nightmares, it seems). With all these highs and lows, getting a job as a student really does teach you a thing or two! AuthorAnisha Jaya Minocha is studying English and Spanish at the University of St Andrews, where she is School President for English. She worked in Andalucía, teaching. She is a writer and poet whose work has been showcased in winning competitions, readings and anthologies. She co-edits SINK Magazine, which gives a platform to Northern creatives, and founded the "Roots"" project with Friends of the Earth, developed during her writing residency with environmental charity Green and Away, exploring intersections between South Asian identity and ecology. Twitter: @anisha_jaya
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