Flexibility, compromise and opportunity: Students' perceptions of balancing part-time work with a full-time business degree

Abstract

Amidst the growing importance of employability in higher education, this study explores and identifies the motivations behind full-time university students engaging in part-time employment during term time, how students cope with simultaneously managing the two activities and how part-time working influences their career aspirations. Semi-structured interviews are used to obtain data from a sample of 30 business degree students at a UK university.The findings confirm previous studies, that financial necessity is a primary driver of parttime work, but also reveal a complex set of supplementary reasons, that either satisfies a long-term vision, or a more immediate need for development or self-gratification. Furthermore, most students compromise the longer term benefit of study against the more immediate financial gains offered by work, resulting in an accepted lowering of academic performance as a consequence. The majority of the students did not see a connecting opportunity between their part-time work and future career, and were uncertain regarding future career direction.This study extends the use of qualitative methods in this area, which is dominated by survey research, while also extending extant findings to the career aspirations of students, which is hitherto largely unexplored.

Multitasking, but for what benefit? The dilemma facing Nigerian university students regarding part-time working

“…As this has not been investigated before, such findings have not been reported in extant studies. However, Evans et al (2014) reported that among UK students there seem to be a lack of connection between students working part-time and future career direction, albeit in a qualitative study. The present finding reporting self-efficacy (and gender) as strong predictors of career aspirations and part-time working in a non-Western context (Nigeria), can therefore be taken as tentative.…”

“…Evans et al, 2014, Ford et al, 1995, Richardson et al, 2009), few have actually followed this up with finding out from students who do not work part-time, the reasons that underpin this decision (see for example, Hodgson and Spours, 2001). In this study, we asked students who do not work part-time, why they do not.…”

“…In this regard, studies have explored the motives of students' part-time work activities (Ford, Bosworth and Wilson, 1995;Richardson, Evans and Gbadamosi, 2009), the difficulties associated with balancing work and study (Evans, Gbadamosi, and Richardson, 2014;Hall, 2010;Moreau and Leathwood, 2006a) and the impact of part-time working upon academic performance (see for example Curtis and Shani, 2002). In addition, researchers have explored the relationship between students' part-time work and the value derived (e.g.…”

“…Ford et al, 1995;Richardson et al, 2009). However, while part-time work is seen by Billet and Ovens (2007) as a useful precursor to engaging full-time with the workplace and can help inform employment choices, its value in driving and supporting career aspirations has received only limited exploration (see for example Evans et al, 2014).…”

Using Part-Time Working to Support Graduate Employment

“…While this is mostly seen to be financially driven (Richardson et al, 2009), part--time working can also help individuals 'try--out' future jobs (Billet and Ovens, 2007) and is therefore useful in supporting career aspirations. In addition, the students themselves perceive their part--time working as beneficial to their job prospects (Evans et al, 2014;Martin and McCabe, 2007;Morrison, 2009). However, the value placed by employers on students' part--time working remains relatively unexplored, highlighting a clear research gap.…”