THE DEMAND FOR PART-TIME JOBS

AMONG ULIS STUDENTS

I. INTRODUCTION
Due to a variety of needs and factors, working a part-time job is currently a common
trend among university students, and many of them choose to get part-time employment. As
Hoang (2020) stated a common request from students in recent years has been for part-time
employment. Regardless of gender, the benefits of a part-time employment for students are
numerous and it doesn't call for any special credentials. Students are very sensitive people
who are both healthy and energetic, quick to learn new things, and open to practical difficulties
(p.1). However, not every student follows this widespread practice for many reasons.
Therefore, we decided to conduct a survey at ULIS to observe and gain deeper knowledge
about the trend of part-time employment among university students.

During university studies, students engage actively in extracurricular activities and

part-time jobs in addition to acquiring academic knowledge. Working and studying at the same
time may have an impact on both their academic performance and physical or mental health.
The general objective of this study is to gather opinions, attitudes and detailed statistics of
ULIS students about the current situation of working part-time at university. Specifically, this
study is aimed at analyzing students’ part-time employment in three aspects: demand for
working part-time and its reason, benefits and dissatisfaction about part-time employment.
After that, our group expects to propose some recommendations that can assist ULIS students
in improving practical work experience, soft skills, income as well as work-study balance.

A growth trend can be seen in the size of student part-time employment. In the US by
the middle of the 2000s, nearly 50% of students were working, compared to 34% in the 1970s.
In Europe, where the percentage of such students ranges from 48% (in France) to 77% (in the
Netherlands), a comparable situation is seen. Seventy to eighty percent of students in British
universities are employed, according to studies. According to various studies, 65-85% of
students in Russia are employed.

This survey is conducted within one week and deals with 53 students from University
of Languages and International Studies – Vietnam National University. In the survey, we focus
on their choice of part-time jobs, their motivations, their difficulties while doing the job, and
their attitude towards the experience. However, due to the limited scope of our investigation,
the findings might not hold true across every student group, nor reflect the entire situation.

II. INFORMATION GATHERING AND ANALYZING

53 students of ULIS were involved in our survey, including 35 females and 18 males.
The respondents come from all school years and faculties of ULIS. A majority of 60% are
freshman students and nearly a half are majoring in English Language Teacher Education.

In order to collect ULIS students’ opinions on the issue of part-time employment, our
group created a questionnaire on Google Form. After the questionnaire was established, we
received 53 responses from ULIS students, varying from the first-year to final year.
Particularly, more than half of them are freshmen, one third of the rest are sophomores and
juniors and seniors have the same responses. To ensure reliable results, a questionnaire was
developed following best practice guidelines in metrics and questionnaire design.

We synthesized the reading sources that are relevant to and contain the statistics to
support our findings after reading the materials we have found. We use a variety of questions
in the survey form to gather data on the most noteworthy, most prevalent, and least prevalent
opinions for our research topic.

III. RESULTS
The survey focused on ULIS students, specifically English Language Teacher
Education students making up the largest percentage (50.1%), followed by Chinese, Japanese,
and Korean students (9.4%). German Language and Culture students 7.5%, while Arabic and
French students 2% (Figure 1). As per the result of our survey, a group of respondents who
are now working part-time constitute a major 60.4%, those who are not undertaking a part-
time job make up the rest 36.9%. This indicates that part-time jobs are enjoying high demand
among our students. (Figure 2)
 Source: Topic survey’s results
Figure 2. The proportion of working

Source: Topic survey’s results part-time (Unit: %)

Figure 1. The proportion of students engaging in

survey of each faculty (Unit: %)

1. Students who have a part-time job

1.1. Part-time jobs of students
According to the Figure 3, students adopt a wide range of part-time jobs in various
fields. Some even take on more than one job at the same time, which means tighter schedules
and more responsibility required. The most common part-time job recorded is tutoring, with
18 students accounting for 56.3%. This is probably because they already have relevant
academic knowledge for the job, and it is easy to find. Waiting table comes second with a far
less total of 7. Teaching assistant is a job immediately connected to the study field of many
students at our school, but falls closely behind the waiting table by 1. There are 4 doing
shipping work, which requires a lot of traveling. Other jobs, like writing collaborator,
translation collaborator, office worker, and other, are least favored with only 2 selections.
There is no respondent within our scope of investigation doing online selling.
 Source: Topic survey’s results
Figure 3. Types of part-time jobs (Unit: %)
1.2. Working hours

The above Figure 4 shows that, the period

of working hours ranges from 7 to 14
hours per week as part of their part-time
employment (46,9%), while just 6,3%
work more than twenty-one hours per
week. Seven respondents said they
worked for less than 7 hours per week
(21,9%). In addition, there are six
(18,8%) spending an extra 14 – 21 hours/
week on part-time jobs and only two
Source: Topic survey’s results
(6,3%) have no definite working hours. Figure 4. The duration of working hours (Unit: %)

1.3. Reasons
It can be seen that the most significant impact on students' choice of part-time
employment is payment (78.1%) followed by the working time at the rate of 62.5%. This
reveals that students mainly prioritize money and working time over all other aspects. Major-
related work and company information are the least influencing factors, with the selection rate
of 21.9% and 18.8%, respectively. We can notice that students typically do not pay much
attention to the recruiting center's information and whether the work is related to their field.
(Figure 5)

Source: Topic survey’s results

Figure 5. Priority when choosing jobs (Unit: %)
1.4. Benefits

Source: Topic survey’s results

Figure 6. Benefits of part-time jobs (Unit: %)
 Through the above Figure 6, the most significant benefit that students gain when
working part-time is financial advancement (78,1%), providing more money to cover living
costs and ease their financial concerns. The next benefit is that part-time jobs acquire students
more experience in dealing with issues in the workplace or in daily life (75%). In addition to
the above benefits, part-time jobs also help students expand their social network (59,4%) and
develop their soft skills (46,95). Part-time job allows students to learn valuable life lessons,
develop positive social connections, and gain exposure to diverse individuals. Furthermore,
working part-time helps students improve their self-confidence (43,8%) and dedication
(21,9%), which are necessary for their future careers. Finding happiness is to work part-time
in their free time (15,6%). Creating an impressive CV (15,6%) is also a benefit of working
part-time, helps them highlight your most appealing skills and experience to potential
employers. Besides, a number of students have chosen a major-related part-time job for
relevant experience (12,5%) and to improve academic performance (6,3%).

1.5. Dissatisfaction

Source: Topic survey’s results

Figure 7. Students’ dissatisfaction about part-time jobs (Unit: %)
The above chart demonstrates the struggles that students have to deal with in their part-
time job. There is an overlap between the struggles. In other words, some students have to
confront more than 1 difficulty in their part-time job. Among the most common issues are low
salary, and limited spare time, with an equal share of 31.3%. Attending school and working
part-time means more responsibility than usual. Therefore, students have to sacrifice much of
their free time that would otherwise have been spent for resting and recreation. This partly
explains why fatigue is the second prime disadvantage. That the work has little correlation
with the study field also ranks second, accounting for 28.1%. The location of the workplace
is the next cause for discontentment (18.8%). Adverse impact on academic performance does
not make up the largest portion (15.6%), which is astonishing, as many students agree that
working part-time is time-consuming and exhausting. A smaller number of 3 respondents
experience boredom doing their job, 2 are unhappy with their workplace relationships. Only
1 person finds the job beyond his/her ability. Nevertheless, it is noticeable that a significant
25% encounter no difficulties in their part-time job.

2. Students do not have a part-time job

For this group, we find that
the major reason they do not
choose to obtain a part-time job
is because they have yet to find
suitable employment (81%).
This might result from objective
factors such as not finding
employment that is suited for
Source: Topic survey’s results
their major or occupations that
Figure 8. Reasons why not choose a part-time jobs (Unit: %)
are too demanding for students.
The lack of time (52.4%) is also one of the reasons why students do not work part-time,
either because they are unable to manage their time efficiently or because their study
schedule is too tight. Other reasons include having other goals (23.8%), no money pressure
(19%), or health concerns (9.5%). (Figure 8)
 The prime reason
students do not have a part-
time job is that they have not
found suitable work, so most
students intend to look for
work in the future (61.9%),
while the remaining 31.8%
chose to concentrate on their Source: Topic survey’s results
studies. (Figure 9) Figure 9. Upcoming plan (Unit: %)

IV. RECOMMENDATION
Due to some negative responses on the effects of a part-time job on respondents’ two
most crucial life aspects (health, and academic performance), the following suggestions are
made to address those problems.
For those who take up two or three jobs at a time and feel drained, or have their
schoolwork adversely affected, we highly recommend considering maintaining one part-time
job only. Doing one part-time job besides studying already requires a significant amount of
hard work. Physical health and academic performance should receive equal concern. As long
as they have a side job, they still have the opportunity to earn money and gain hands-on
experience.
Students who are overworked from a part-time job should consider taking a break or
reducing their hours. Prioritizing both their academic obligations and well-being is crucial.
They could look for ways to better manage their time and achieve a healthy work-life balance,
such as planning time for downtime, physical activity, and socialization. Students could also
discuss with the employer for other options, such as different shifts or roles that might be less
demanding.
Make a schedule that provides time for both activities if students want to successfully
balance part-time employment and academic responsibilities. Make school work their top
priority and take breaks as needed. To change their timetable or schedule to accommodate
academic commitments, speak with the employer. Take rest and refueling breaks throughout
the day. To find a balance between their employment and school responsibilities, consult
teachers, counselors, or other trusted adults for assistance.

V. CONCLUSION
Most undergraduate students have a part-time job, among which tutoring is likely the
most in-demand. Over two-thirds find a part-time job from the freshman year, and the average
period of working hours is between 7 and 14 hours per week. Salary has the greatest impact
on students' decisions to work part-time. Only a few are influenced by the job connection to
their major. Increased income and more hands-on experience are the major gains of a part-
time job. The biggest causes of dissatisfaction, however, are low payment, limited spare time,
and exhaustion. Yet some encounter no challenge in their job. Of respondents who choose not
to work part-time, the main reason is that they cannot find a suitable one. This explains why
half of those plan to find a part-time job in the near future.
Students who are overwhelmed by their part-time job should reduce the amount of work.
In light of that, we think those doing more than one job could stop one of theirs. Those
experiencing burnout after work should include downtime in their schedule to exercise and
socialize, for the benefit of their well-being. It is also important for them to negotiate with
their employers for reduced working hours. Students whose academic performance gets a
negative impact should prioritize their schoolwork. It might be useful to reschedule and
negotiate with employers. Besides, they can rely on their teachers, or other trustworthy
individuals for advice.
 REFERENCE

Thi Nga, H. (2020, September 29). Demand for Part-Time Jobs for Students Today.
International Journal of Contemporary Research and Review, 11(09).
https://doi.org/10.15520/ijcrr.v11i09.846

Verulava, T., & Jorbenadze, R. (2022, January 7). The impact of part-time employment on
students’ health | Malta Medical Journal. The Impact of Part-time Employment on Students’
Health | Malta Medical Journal.
https://www.mmsjournals.org/index.php/mmj/article/view/413?fbclid=IwAR07FIegN