Past GT essay - In many countries, teenagers are encouraged to do part-time jobs. What’s the situation like in your country? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of doing part-time jobs?

Some countries such as the USA and UK encourage their secondary school students to do part time jobs. There are many pros and cons of this practice which shall be discussed in this essay.

On the positive side, a teenager's job can teach work skills that will serve him well in college and prepare him for careers in adulthood. To add to it, he can acquire confidence, develop a sense of responsibility and feel more independent. Earning money will enable him to buy things he wants and will provide an opportunity for learning responsible money management. What is more, studies find that students who work a moderate amount—no more than 10 to 15 hours a week during the school year—tend to earn higher grades than those who don't work at all.

Furthermore, if parents work outside the home, an after-school job can give the teenager adult supervision in those crucial afternoon hours. Finally, the right jobs may expose him to new work possibilities and set him on the path to a lifetime career. Teens also gain useful, marketable skills such as improving their communication, learning how to handle people, developing interview skills and filling out job applications.

On the other hand, working more than 13 to 20 hours a week is associated with lower grades.

Teens who work too many hours find it difficult to keep up extracurricular activities and social relationships. Some studies have found that teens who work long hours are more likely to engage in such risky activities as using illegal drugs or alcohol - in part because they are exposed to older co-workers who lead them astray. Finally, early entry into a negative or harsh work environment may encourage negative views of work. This would depend greatly on the maturity level of the teenager and the type of job obtained.

In India, teenagers generally do not work part time. This practice has recently started in big cities but is not very popular yet.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that, teenagers are definitely benefited by working part time. However, the type of work should be carefully chosen and they should not be allowed to work more than 10-15 hours a week.