| Mirror
Magazine |
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| Juggling
work, study and play Added
exposure “While
in school you come into contact with the same sort of crowd, but
once you are out there in the real world, you’ve got to learn
to adapt to your surroundings,” she added. Her interest in law led her to join the Centre for Policy Alternatives (C.P.A.) next; a non-governmental organization focusing on issues such as human rights. “As I was preparing for the Law College entrance exam, joining the legal unit at C.P.A. as a research assistant was a good opportunity to be in contact with the legal field. Apart from the serious work, I even learned basic skills like how to use a photocopy machine,” she said. Since she was accepted to Law College, she had to work simultaneously, adjusting to the commitments and responsibilities of both her employer and herself. “Money really was not the only reason for opting to work while studying, but of course the financial independence, though limited, was quite welcome.” Adding to her busy schedule, she will be starting her first year at the Faculty of Law, at the University of Colombo, presently. Versatility “Since my schedule doesn’t allow me to work an eight-hour job, I have a better deal freelancing as a copywriter for a couple of places. This way, I don’t miss out on any of my other commitments to the band, and of course my degree.” “It gets a bit hectic when we have a gig, and then other things are put on hold, but in the end it’s all about time management and discipline.” He plans to follow a diploma course in Sound Engineering, as it would definitely help him in his work with the band and also do a degree at the Chartered Institute of Marketing. “Working while studying is not easy. But it gives you a chance to gain a tremendous amount of experience and the learning process goes on. The cash factor is pretty helpful too!” Suresh is also compiling a book of his own poetry. Healthy
competition Receiving her training at Forbes and Walker, she’s been “tasting tea” since last November. Now once every week, she is required to be present at the Chamber of Commerce and participate in the tea auction. “I basically have to buy tea for my company. We have companies such as John Keells and Forbes and Walker sending in samples of tea along with catalogues. I have to taste those samples, make a note of the suitable ones and then go for the auction and buy tea for the company, keeping in line with the chosen samples.” At the auction, she has to bid for the best tea for her company, at the most economical price. “Since we don’t have those posh boards like the ones you see on television with the price written on them, when the broker announces the going price, you have to shout out your price. But it’s quite an interesting job, because you get to mingle with all these top notch officials from the leading tea companies, and since there are so few females in the field, everyone is extremely nice and polite. Everything about this job is pretty smooth. The only minus seems to be in the “tea tasting” itself. “To keep on tasting bitter samples of tea without any sugar or milk is not exactly enjoyable, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not too bad!” Since interacting with people is her speciality, she opted to enroll in a course in Personal Management at the Institute of Personal Management, The two-year course is in three parts; foundation, certificate and diploma. “I’m generally a people person and I like dealing with people and their issues, while I can’t stand paperwork. I’ll be aiming at getting into the field of Human Resources later on,” Ranika says. Animated
choices “I’ve been interested in computers since I was very young and got involved in computer related activities while in school. I’ve formed a few contacts through those activities and I work for those people on a freelance basis. I do advertisements and presentations for ad agencies and companies.” Explaining his work Varuna adds, 3D animation is basically when you see unreal things on your screen. For example, if you see an advertisement where biscuits move around on your screen, those visuals have been subjected to 3D animation. What I do is basically move them around using special effects on the computer.” Since most of his work is done at home, his degree in Computer Studies at the Institute of Technological Studies is not disrupted. The course requires him to study two years in Sri Lanka, while his final year would be spent at a university in America. Young
blood? “We take in local as well as foreign interns on a regular basis as research assistants, but they end up doing everything from coordinating seminars, to helping out in various projects, and even basic paper work. It’s extremely productive to have them around, especially if they turn out to be efficient. But staying on with us depends on their individual aptitude.” According to Mr. Ajith Perera, Managing Director, Thorn Groups, (an advertising agency) freelancers are useful. They need a consecutive flow of creativity, so having young people is a plus point. “We have a pool of about eight young people working for Creatives as copywriters and to develop conceptualising. Since all of them are studying, they can’t commit to a permanent job. So the next best option is this, where they get to study and work in a field that they enjoy. The employer benefits as well, as the creative levels of young people are very high.” He feels that young people nowadays have far more opportunities. “There are so many openings now for young people just out of school. Talent and potential can be used in so many ways.” More
opportunities “We have three broad based programmes at L.S.T; namely Human Rights and Conflict, Globalization and Making Rights Real. Since we undertake lots of projects such as these, the interns we recruit have ample opportunities to get involved in our work. They usually help us out in all possible ways, including official work as well as the organisation of events, seminars and so on. This kind of work helps young people from diverse backgrounds get to know each other and work together. It also helps them in an educational sense, since they could familiarize themselves with the field of law, which is essential to modern society.” Law and Society Trust, is an N.G.O. dealing with legal research, human rights and other legal aspects. Time
to compromise “We usually go for people with a basic degree, work experience or an acceptable amount of knowledge in the Marketing field, so that would explain why we don’t have that many young people, for example those who are studying.” “If they are studying, they have to focus on their studies and put in a lot of effort. If they have to work as well, they would have to concentrate on two things and they obviously wouldn’t be able to give their fullest to the company.” In line with this opinion, an official attached to the Human Resources section of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (H.S.B.C.), added that they did recruit young people who were studying, but with certain conditions. “We have lots of young people working with us, some of them even as young as eighteen. The fact that they have to follow some sort of course of study at that age goes unsaid. But if they want to work as well, they need to be ready to compromise.”
“According to our company policy, our employees need to be at work on all weekdays. So as long as their study courses are held during the weekends, we’ve got no problem with our employees studying while working.” So if you’re
looking to gain some work experience while pursuing your studies,
go ahead and reach for the stars. Time is precious… but then
again, you’ve got lots of it! If you’re looking to gain some work experience while pursuing your studies, go ahead. The key to juggling both is often successful time management |
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Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
Most young people these days are constantly shuttling from one activity
to another. Not only are they striving to reach goals in education,
they are also merging work into their busy study schedules…
and quite successfully too. 
