Survive Having a Part-Time Job & an Apprenticeship | by Kenya Young-Denton
Now imagine it.
You’ve been looking for an apprenticeship for 4 months, but in the meantime, you’ve started a part-time job to earn some money. Skip to a further 4 months, and the company and your co-workers have grown on you, but you now have your dream apprenticeship. You try to pick one but can’t.
You decide to have the ‘best of both worlds' (queue Hannah Montana theme song👩🏼🎤) but don’t know how to manage both.
Well, I’m here to help with your survival.
This was my situation for my last 2 apprenticeships, (So I’m like a seasoned veteran). I followed the next steps to ensure my focus was on my apprenticeship rather than my part-time job. Just for context, I was working at Waitrose Enfield Chase for 3 years whilst juggling my apprenticeships.
Reduce Your Hours 📣
Please reduce your hours. You are not a robot 🤖 nor can you operate on auto-pilot. So why are you still on a 20-hour contract & doing an apprenticeship? Honey, no just no.🤦🏾
I understand that you might want to earn as much money as you can, but it’s not worth compromising your health, especially your mental health. We’ve all been there, you’re seeing the overtime, looking at your paycheck, Cardi B’s Money is playing in your head, and you’re looking to fly out to Bali or Dubai.
But STOP…
Your portfolio… 👀 It's as dry as Spongebob was when he thought he did not need water in Sandy Cheeks Dome.
Your apprenticeship is a priority and should be treated as such. Put it on a pedestal, nurture it, and trust me it will grow. But you can’t do that by working any more than 8-9 hours a week.
Have a chat with your manager about lowering your work hours to 1-2 days depending on the company's needs/policies. Some companies will allow you to work all your hours in 1 day whereas others may not, so be mindful that you might have to work weekends depending on your contractual hours. For example, during my Multiverse apprenticeship, I was working a 9.5-hour contract split over two days (Monday & Thursday) so I always had my weekends free to relax 😌.
Study Leave 👩🏾🎓, Shift Swaps & Unpaid Leave
Remember you are a student, therefore you will have exams coming up that you need to revise for, or a project in your portfolio you need to complete. With that being said, there will be times your part-time job will have to sit on the back burner.
Now most companies (Not ALL) have a study leave/break in place for uni students which you might be able to use. Usually, this is about 4-5 days you can use in the year for paid leave in order to study. I would personally use these days to complete your portfolio, EPA (End Point Assessment), or exams.
If the company does not have a study leave/break policy in place, then your other options are doing a shift swap or choosing unpaid leave. These might not be your preferred options, as it would mean taking a dip in pay or swapping your normal hours for another time that might inconvenience you. Yet, it would mean you would get the work done so it might be your best option. The only way to reach your full potential in your apprenticeship is by sacrificing elsewhere.
Talk to Your Managers 🧑💼
Now, this ☝🏾 one right here is really IMPORTANT. Always discuss with management your apprenticeship/part-time job for both workplaces. I don’t mean the nitty gritty like how much you’re being paid, benefits, or gossip about the brand/company, but the contractual hours.
Some companies have a second job contract that they need you to sign to make sure you're not going over the 48 working hours per week limit (This is 40 hours per week if you're under 18). This is to ensure that you have enough rest in between jobs and that you can perform exceptionally at both.
Also, just to point out that your managers are at your disposal for guidance. They may have internal/external resources they direct you to like an advice service if you wanted to speak confidentially about something to do with either job.
Please do use any resources available to you, you might not need it now, but you might do it later on. 😊
The Wrap Up
Having two jobs and studying is hard, to say the least. But, if you manage your time, talk to management, and reduce your hours, you will be fine. You have to remember that everyone is on your side, no one wants you to fail but you have to talk up if you're in trouble. This is why having a comfortable relationship with management is important. But ultimately, have fun and take every opportunity both jobs present to you, as you won't be able to redo the time about both jobs.
Kenya Young-Denton is an alum and is writing for the Apprentice Lens. Here is more about her:
"Having finished my apprenticeship, I think it's about time I share my experiences, and the best way is through blogging. So come on a journey with me to explore Digital Marketing, Apprenticeships, and whatever life throws at us."