IsItGoodforStudentstoHavePart-timeJobs?

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　　SchoolPart-timers

　　MoreandmorehighschoolstudentsinBeijingareturningtheirmindstowaysofmakingmoney.

　　TheyarecapitalizingonopportunitiessuchasonegroupofstudentswhowenttothefrontgateoftheChildren’sCentreintheEastDistrictofBeijingwhenafilmstudiowasthereconductingauditions(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.Theagreementsayspricesmaybehigherthanatthedowntownshopsbutlowerthanatthepeddlers’stalls.

　　Card-sellingisjustabeginning.Somestudentsturntheireyestoothermoreprofitableventures.

　　Takeoneseniorhighschoolsophomorewhohasdevelopedaflourishingbusinesssellingphotosoffamouspeople.Heevenhashisownnamecardthatreads:TheHighSchoolStudentCorporationLtdofExploitationofNewTechnology(7).

　　Thestudentcarriesaportfolio(8)ofthephotosaroundwithhiminanalbumtoshowhisyoungcustomers.Heoffersawidevarietyofphotos,fromAmericanmoviestarSylvesterStalloneinRamboposetoTaiwan’sfamoussingerQiQin(9).

　　"Thesealldependonmyhighqualitycamera,"heboastsandexplainshowhecloppedthepicturesfrommagazines,photographedthemandthendevelopedtheprintsintovarioussizes.Hehassoldhundreds.

　　Anotherstudentismowanamateursalesmanforacompanyandearnsathreepercentcommission(10)oneachsale.

　　Whenhehadearned300yuanthroughhisownefforts,hesaid,"IfeelthatIhavereallybecomeanadult."

　　Mostofthemoneythestudentsearnisspentonthemselves.Theycanbuyhigh-priceditemslikeapairofrunningshoeswhichcancostasmuchas100yuan-amonth’ssalaryforanaverageworker.Fewparentscanaffordsuchluxuries.

　　Somestudentsfindworktohelpthemrealizetheirdreamsofcareer.

　　QianQianwantstobecomeanactress.Inhersparetimesheattendsaclassoutsideschoolthatcosts80yuanamonthintuition,anamountwhichherparentscannotaffordtopay.Soshefoundajobasawaitressinacoffeehousetoearnhertuitionfee.

　　Somestudentsgetintobusinessforotherreasonsbesidesthemoney.

　　ZouYue,afemalestudent,fromafairlywealthyfamily,tookajobbecause,shesaid,"Businesscancultivateasenseofcompetition,whichisveryimportantforusinthefuture."

　　Astudentwhooncesoldcardssaidyoungpeopleareencouragedtobeindependent.

　　"Buthow?"heasked."Youcanneverbeindependentunlessyoucansupportyourselffinancially."

　　Hefeltafter-schoolworkenhancedayoungperson’ssocialdevelopment,too.

　　PracticalexperienceintheworkforcehasbeenstipulatedbytheStateCommissionofEducation(11)asacompulsoryprogramme.Thisisnowcloselyrelatedwitheconomicbenefitsamonghighschoolstudents.

　　Onestudent,sentbyherschooltoworkasashopassistantatatemplefair,earnedfiveyuanadayforaseven-hourshiftbehindthecounter.

　　"Ihadasorethroatafterworkingforafewdays,butIhadtoholdon",shesaid.

　　"IwantedtoearnthemoneyandalsoprovethatIwasanablegirl."

　　Thesetemporaryjobstints(12)givehighschoolstudentsaninsightintowhatworkandincomesareallabout.

　　AjobataState-ownedcinemamyonlyearnaworker40or50yuanamonth.Butajobwithaself-employedtrader,mayearntheassistant8or10yuanaday.Awritermaygetabout20yuanforanarticleinanewspaperoramagazine,butaclotheskeeperinaswimmingpoolmayearnatleast200yuanamonth.