How to Get a Part-time Job as an International Student (Part 2)
Image courtesy of Caleb Roenigk/Flickr
In the previous part, we spoke of four key skills (communication, customer service, time management, and numeracy) that could increase your chances of finding a part-time job in an English-speaking country.
Here are four more such skills that make you productive at work:
- Cultural awareness
In today’s business environment, it is common for an individual to work alongside people from different cultures. And where there are differences, people need to adapt. After all, a person’s culture influences their communication style and behaviour, so not being culturally sensitive can lead to problems. What is considered appropriate in one culture – for instance, regular eye contact during a conversation – may be thought of as rude in another.
- Working under pressure
Work and pressure go hand in hand; clearly, the way you handle pressure may decide just how well you perform a particular role. Do you, for example, panic if a long queue builds up in front of you? Or do you just remain calm, smile at customers, and continue working? The ability to perform effectively under pressure is priceless in certain jobs, especially customer-facing roles.
- IT skills
Given that most workplaces are computerised these days, the ability to use IT systems a prerequisite for most jobs, full- or part-time. If you are good at using computer software and internet-based tools, make sure it features prominently on your CV.
- Commercial awareness
This means an interest in the wider environment (customers, competitors, suppliers, etc.) in which a company operates. If you have commercial awareness, then you are in a way exhibiting your knowledge of a particular industry and the issues it’s facing.
Remember, companies nowadays weigh up applicants by looking for examples of these skills, so the more skills you have, the better your chances are of getting hired!
GLOSSARY
| alongside | ||
| Form | : | preposition |
| Meaning | : | together with someone, in the same place |
| Example | : | During the war, some brave women fought alongside soldiers. |
| adapt | ||
| Form | : | verb |
| Meaning | : | to change your behaviour so that it suits a new situation or environment |
| Example | : | People sometimes have to adapt a lot after marriage. |
| hand in hand | ||
| Form | : | phrase |
| Meaning | : | if two things go hand in hand, they are closely connected |
| Example | : | Alcoholism and poor health go hand in hand. |
| panic | ||
| Form | : | verb |
| Meaning | : | to be unable to think clearly because you are frightened |
| Example | : | Molly panicked when she saw smoke coming out of the washing machine. |
| prerequisite | ||
| Form | : | noun |
| Meaning | : | something that must happen or exist before something else |
| Example | : | Practice is a prerequisite to successful learning of any language. |
| weight someone up | ||
| Form | : | phrasal verb |
| Meaning | : | to form an opinion of someone, especially by watching or speaking to them |
| Example | : | The security guard weighed me up as I walked into the lobby. |