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Earn while you learn
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The changing lifestyle has heralded the concept of earning during the college days
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The trend of earning while studying seems to be catching up with the young crowd of this city. The thought of contributing to the family’s kitty or earning their own pocket money has seeped into their minds. Is it the change in lifestyle that h
as heralded such an idea or it’s only a passing fad?
“It is a combination of both,” Surendra. He has just finished his intermediate and has joined an MNC run call centre. “Lifestyle has changed.
Today the world of the Gen-X is filled with fast bikes and gadgets. Sporty look is the order of day and to get into that groove involves a good amount of money.
It is difficult for someone from a middle class background to get into that channel.
So it is a combination of both, as parents should not be over burdened to support such a lifestyle,” says he.
In this tech savvy world, a few gadgets have become a part of the life. While cell phones lead the generation it is followed by computers and fast bikes. “A new generation cell phone varies between Rs.5,000 to Rs.15,000 and a bike is not less than Rs.60,000. Over and above we have the fuel cost and recharge for the cell phones.
On an average the monthly expenditure varies between Rs.3,000 to Rs.6,000, including the instalments for the bikes. Apart from that we have the college fees, books, weekend parties, cinema and other expenses. So the best thing is to earn a few bucks to support the lifestyle and at any point of time we can always bank on our parents for the deficit,” adds he.
Options
The options are open today right from marketing to call centres and from part time data entry operators to programmers. Suresh who is on the rolls of an insurance firm supports his education, lifestyle and contributes to the income at home while doing his MBA. “My earnings range from Rs.7,000 to Rs.10,000 a month depending on the number of policies I can market and at the same time I am doing my MBA in a private college.
My work starts after coming back from the college in the afternoon. Till late in the evening I work and then study for a couple of hours in the night. Apart from the money that I earn the work experience would come handy during the interviews after my MBA,” he says.
While working for marketing firms could be a bit taxing, a call centre job is relatively comfortable. Surendra had the opportunity to join an insurance firm as a part time marketing executive but he chose the call centre.
The call centres propose a variety of schemes for such youngsters. Apart from offering part time job to suit their requirements, a leading MNC has entered into an agreement with the Andhra University School of Distance Education to support an academic programme for the benefit of such youth.
As per the programme one can join the course which is partly subsidised by the MNC and as well as work for a few hours in a week in the company to earn a healthy stipend.
“The concept of ‘earn while you learn’ has percolated down from the west and it is nothing new. But the profile has changed. Today, one need not work in gas stations or in restaurants or as paperboys to earn a few bucks.
The options are not only varied and open but they are also remunerative.
The only hiccup is the time management. If one can balance the work schedule and the academics then nothing like it,” says Srinidhi, a second year commerce student and who also works for a call centre.
SUMIT BHATTACHARJEE
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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