Why you should get a job in sixth form

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Some of your mates at college probably already have Saturday jobs, or maybe they worked over the summer holidays. You might not see the point of having a job just one day a week, or for a few weeks out of the year but it’s actually a great way to get yourself set up for uni. 

It also gives you the chance to try out entry jobs in a range of different careers, and you might find something that you love and want to pursue. Our Career Matcher can help you figure out what you might want to do after you finish your studies, so you could think about what skills different part-time jobs could offer that would help your future career. 

Earn money 

Yes, this might seem obvious, but it’s more important than you might think. While you’re in school or college and living at home, you probably don’t have many expenses other than the odd cinema trip, the latest video games and all those clothing hauls. Once you’re at uni, you’ll find you have a lot more financial responsibility. 

You’ll be paying rent, buying groceries, purchasing course books and materials and, of course, socialising with your friends. And while the student bars are usually cheap, the money for even a cheap pint has to come from somewhere. If you can get a job in sixth form and save up some of what you’re earning, you’ll have more free cash to spend on whatever you choose at uni. 

Meet new people 

Many jobs have a social element to them as well as a work one. While you shouldn’t be socialising too much on the job, working is a great way to meet new people and build new relationships. At school or college, you’ll only really see people around your own age, whereas at work you’ll likely be interacting with people a bit older than you are. While they might not be the person you invite over for a movie night, older co-workers can offer you helpful advice and guidance and it’s always good to meet people from different backgrounds. 

Depending on the type of job, there might be people your age from different schools and colleges working there, so you could also expand your circle of friends. Many jobs put on regular social events where you can focus on getting to know the people you work with on a personal level. Plus, usually work events are paid for by the company, so it’s basically a free party! 

Learn new skills 

School/college can teach you a lot of skills like communication, time management, organisation and multi-tasking, but there are some skills you only learn from being in the world of work. When you’re in sixth form, you’ll likely be looking at part-time jobs in somewhere like a café, restaurant or retail. In these jobs, you’ll learn customer service skills (the customer isn’t always right, but you often have to pretend they at least might be right!), how to use till systems and handle cash and card payments, how to maintain a professional attitude, and if you’re working with food and drink, you’ll also learn a lot about food hygiene and the laws around serving food (and probably even get the chance to obtain a Food Hygiene Certificate).  

Make it easier to get a uni job 

As well as all the benefits above, having worked part-time before will help you get a job once you go to uni. Some larger companies could even offer you a transfer to a different store when you move, which would mean you wouldn’t even have to reapply. 

While everybody starts somewhere, and of course there are a lot of places that’ll take on employees with no previous work experience, if your CV is in a pile of others, having worked part-time in sixth form will help your CV stand out. Just make sure you brush up on answers to questions like ‘can you tell us about a time you worked in a team?’ and ‘can you give me an example of an issue you came across at work and how you resolved it?’, because interviewers love to ask those questions.