IsItGoodforStudentstoHavePart-timeJobs?
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SchoolPart-timers
MoreandmorehighschoolstudentsinBeijingareturningtheirmindstowaysofmakingmoney.
TheyarecapitalizingonopportunitiessuchasonegroupofstudentswhowenttothefrontgateoftheChildrensCentreintheEastDistrictofBeijingwhenafilmstudiowasthereconductingauditions(1).
Thegroupsoldtheyounghopefuls(2)applicationformsatfivefenapieceaftergettingtheformsfromthecenterforfree.
Youngentrepreneursarealsocapitalizingonhighdemandcommoditiesnotalwaysavailableawayfromthebigshoppingcentres(3).Birthdayorgreetingcardsareanexample.Onedepartmentstoreestimatedthat80percentofitssalesofcardsaretostudentsforresale.
XialLi,ajuniorhighschoolstudentatFengtaiDistrictinthesouthwestregionofthecapital,spent40yuanbuyingcardsfromdowntownshopsjustbeforethelastSpringFestival.
Shesoldthematherschoolandschoolsnearbyatprices15to20percenthigherthanwhatshehadpaid.Inamonth,sheearned100yuan,representinga250percentreturnonherinitialinvestment.
Aseniorhighschoolstudentwhohadbeensellingcardshasnowbecomeanamateurwholesaledealer(4).Hiswholesalepriceis8percenthigherthanhispurchasingpriceand10percentlowerthantheretailprice(5).Withintwomonths,thehadearnedseveralhundredyuaninprofits.
Manystudentshavemergedtheiractivitiestoavoidpricewars.(6)Forexample,inanareawithfewState-ownedshopsandfarfromthecitycenter,studentunionheadsfromtheschoolstherehavereachedanagreementoncardprices.Theagreementsayspricesmaybehigherthanatthedowntownshopsbutlowerthanatthepeddlersstalls.
Card-sellingisjustabeginning.Somestudentsturntheireyestoothermoreprofitableventures.
Takeoneseniorhighschoolsophomorewhohasdevelopedaflourishingbusinesssellingphotosoffamouspeople.Heevenhashisownnamecardthatreads:TheHighSchoolStudentCorporationLtdofExploitationofNewTechnology(7).
Thestudentcarriesaportfolio(8)ofthephotosaroundwithhiminanalbumtoshowhisyoungcustomers.Heoffersawidevarietyofphotos,fromAmericanmoviestarSylvesterStalloneinRamboposetoTaiwansfamoussingerQiQin(9).
Thesealldependonmyhighqualitycamera,heboastsandexplainshowhecloppedthepicturesfrommagazines,photographedthemandthendevelopedtheprintsintovarioussizes.Hehassoldhundreds.
Anotherstudentismowanamateursalesmanforacompanyandearnsathreepercentcommission(10)oneachsale.
Whenhehadearned300yuanthroughhisownefforts,hesaid,IfeelthatIhavereallybecomeanadult.
Mostofthemoneythestudentsearnisspentonthemselves.Theycanbuyhigh-priceditemslikeapairofrunningshoeswhichcancostasmuchas100yuan-amonthssalaryforanaverageworker.Fewparentscanaffordsuchluxuries.
Somestudentsfindworktohelpthemrealizetheirdreamsofcareer.
QianQianwantstobecomeanactress.Inhersparetimesheattendsaclassoutsideschoolthatcosts80yuanamonthintuition,anamountwhichherparentscannotaffordtopay.Soshefoundajobasawaitressinacoffeehousetoearnhertuitionfee.
Somestudentsgetintobusinessforotherreasonsbesidesthemoney.
ZouYue,afemalestudent,fromafairlywealthyfamily,tookajobbecause,shesaid,Businesscancultivateasenseofcompetition,whichisveryimportantforusinthefuture.
Astudentwhooncesoldcardssaidyoungpeopleareencouragedtobeindependent.
Buthow?heasked.Youcanneverbeindependentunlessyoucansupportyourselffinancially.
Hefeltafter-schoolworkenhancedayoungpersonssocialdevelopment,too.
PracticalexperienceintheworkforcehasbeenstipulatedbytheStateCommissionofEducation(11)asacompulsoryprogramme.Thisisnowcloselyrelatedwitheconomicbenefitsamonghighschoolstudents.
Onestudent,sentbyherschooltoworkasashopassistantatatemplefair,earnedfiveyuanadayforaseven-hourshiftbehindthecounter.
Ihadasorethroatafterworkingforafewdays,butIhadtoholdon,shesaid.
IwantedtoearnthemoneyandalsoprovethatIwasanablegirl.
Thesetemporaryjobstints(12)givehighschoolstudentsaninsightintowhatworkandincomesareallabout.
AjobataState-ownedcinemamyonlyearnaworker40or50yuanamonth.Butajobwithaself-employedtrader,mayearntheassistant8or10yuanaday.Awritermaygetabout20yuanforanarticleinanewspaperoramagazine,butaclotheskeeperinaswimmingpoolmayearnatleast200yuanamonth.