Dear counsellor,

I am a high school student in form five. Recently I was offered a job for this two-month long holiday. I was wondering whether I should do it or not. If I settle for it, won’t I go back to school exhausted? Please advise me.

Yours, Keza

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Dear Keza,

Being a student comes with a heavy cost both physically, financially and academically. This is why you should strategize ways of dealing with some of the heavy challenges that come along with student life and tap straight into any available part-time job opportunities this holiday. This will broaden your horizons in many ways and upgrade your living standards when school opens.

No matter how simple your holiday job may seem, rest assured there will be a confidence-boosting challenge to overcome, whether it’s learning a new skill, surviving a stressful work environment or learning to deal with a hard-driving boss or a nasty coworker. Take, for instance, you will realise that, as you come into adulthood, earning an income can boost your confidence and allow you to have fun within the limits of your paychecks which you could use to delay gratification to buy a text book, pay part of you tuition of meet some life essentials

Similarly, working a part-time job this holiday will allow you to develop connections. You may get a great friend, reference, connection or even an assured full-time job after school. You will be better positioned to develop a wide range of skills ranging from time management, teamwork, leadership, communication skills and customer service. Working makes you a better planner as you struggle to complete the job tasks expected of you on deadline. This teaches you to enjoy working efficiently with people under pressure.

When you indulge yourself in such busy work schedules, you learn to weigh your priorities, sometimes skipping fun activities to finish responsibilities. This will groom you into a better adult and enrich you with a wide range knowledge, skills and competences that will put you at a competitive advantage on the future labour market. Gaining such important introductory experience in the business will boost your CV and draw you closer to your future potential employers. Employers look for workers who understand the work environment and function well as part of a team because you’ll be accustomed to the professional world, which will make the transition much easier.

Keep in mind that your job search is about more than earning some extra cash – it could give you the competitive edge you need to get more and better jobs in the future. And once you’ve worked for minimum wage, you’ll be ready to appreciate just how much a better job is worth.