Free Essay. Part-time/Seasonal Workers in Higher Education

Seasonal work is a form of employment that takes place in specific particular seasons. Employment, in this case, occurs in a cycle and not a continuous one throughout the year but in certain seasons. Also, the workers involved, in this case, will only be employed in and during that particular specified season. A good example of seasonal employment is that of a Ski resort, which can only be opened and operational during the winter ski season. Thus, workers in the Ski resort can only be employed during the winter ski season and not any other season.

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Another good example is that of flowers and fruits, which are only ready from plants in particular seasons. Therefore, farmers will need to hire workers during the time fruits and flowers are available for harvesting. Also, this is the period during which work is more than any other period. Seasonal work has its advantages and so, do seasonal workers. The significant merit is that the workers can plan on the job with respect to their daily routine activities. The workers make decisions on where they want to work, and during which season, afterwards, they can have a rest and then move on to another seasonal work in any other place of their choice. It is based on the fact that seasonal jobs are always available throughout the year, but it depends on the sectors involved (MBA Skool-Study.Learn.Share., 2020).

Part-time work, on the other hand, refers to a form of employment that involves fewer working hours as compared to full-time work. It is calculated based on weekly working hours. Usually, working hours less than 30 hours per week is considered to be a part-time job. A good example of part-time work is that of an amusement park that is closed during the winter season, and thus, workers operating rides are grouped as part-time workers (MBA Skool-Study.Learn.Share., 2020).

In higher learning (education), working part-time has several benefits. Through part-time work, one can earn some extra income. Besides the extra income, one can gain work experience in addition to learning new skills relating to the type of work they are partaking in (Sexton, 2020). Despite the benefits that come with a part-time job, it is always challenging to balance it with one's academic work plus the social life of the persons involved. Therefore, for one to succeed as a part-time worker, he/she must be able to have prior plans, utilize the available time effectively, create time for themselves, avoid straining/or overstretching themselves, maintain and keep a healthy lifestyle, and keep their employers up to date.

Planning helps to balance academics and part-time work by getting to know where you should be and at what time (Sexton, 2020). It, thus, helps in time management. For example, someone who is more in tech should know their calendars and make sure that they keep on top of adding in lectures and also shifts. Wisely managing the available time is also another essential factor for consideration by any part-time worker. It follows the initially mentioned plan, where one sets up weekly lectures and work shifts. After allocating time to these lectures and work shifts, one needs to be disciplined on how they manage the rest of their time. A good example is that if one has a few hours before a lecture, he/she should carry out some research work in the library or even borrow a book to read during breaks rather than just browsing on the phone the whole day.

Also, managing the holiday time, such as in the summer and Christmas. It can be by doing some research, and studies are of the essence to get one started during the start of the next term/or semester. However, one should not stress himself/ herself by denying themselves time to have some rest and also relax. Instead, they should always have some time for themselves, and this can be in the form of watching shows on television, going out with friends, and also spending some time with their families together. All these will boost both their physical and mental health. Some positive impacts of part-time while at higher education include, among others, a gain of skills which are transferable into graduate employment. Also, time management, since students with part-time jobs have little free time. Thus, they utilize their limited available time effectively, they earn some money from the jobs, and also, that it helps them budget by spending the money they earn wisely (Thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk, 2020).

Part-time/ seasonal workers have several advantages, even though they experience some challenges too. One of the main challenges is, the difficulty in balancing studies with a part-time job. Also, despite the disadvantage of balance, finding a part-time job itself is a challenge on its own. The majority of the students are forced to find part-time job since maintenance loans are not able to cover all of their costs of living. Furthermore, most of the students who work as part-time workers, spend income on necessities such as food, accommodations, and other bills.

References

MBA Skool-Study.Learn.Share. (2020). Seasonal Work Definition | Human Resources (HR) Dictionary | MBA Skool-Study.Learn.Share.. [online] Available at: https://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/human-resources-hr-terms/16591-seasonal-work.html [Accessed 7 Feb. 2020].

Sexton, B. (2020). How to juggle university with part-time work. [online] Times Higher Education (THE). Available at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/advice/how-juggle-university-part-time-work [Accessed 7 Feb. 2020].

Thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk. (2020). Student Jobs-Working Part-Time. [online] Available at: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/preparing-to-go/student-jobs-working-part-time [Accessed 7 Feb. 2020].