Part-time Jobs: How to Balance Reading Answers

Feb 12, 2024

Part-time Jobs: How to Balance Reading Answers is a general reading topic. Part-time Jobs: How to Balance Reading Answers have a total of 7 IELTS questions in total. The specified topic generates 1 question type: choose the correct course according to job role. Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly in order to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS reading practice papers, which feature topics such as Part-time Jobs: How to Balance Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Part-time jobs: how to balance

Work and play
Whether you're currently a student looking to take on a part-time job to cover your living costs or a graduate needing cash to tide you over while you get on the career ladder, getting part-time work can be essential to keeping your finances in order. However, you mustn't burn yourself out and become ineffective. It's easy to take on too much and suddenly find there's no time for fun.

And stretch …
We all need to stretch ourselves to reach our potential, and that includes funding our way through university and after university. This is also something that future employers wish to see. By getting a part-time job you're learning important transferable skills that you can make the most of later. You'll also earn yourself a bit of extra cash.

. But be realistic
While stretching to reach your full potential, make sure you're realistic about what you can physically manage and what other commitments you have. Remember that the National Association of Student Employment Services suggests a sensible work limit of no more than 15 hours per week. If you're still at university, write a priorities list with how many hours you need to spend in lectures, how many you need to spend on coursework and how many you realistically need for yourself.
Whatever's left over can be put to good use in a part-time job - it's certainly more productive than watching day-time TV. If you're job hunting for your graduate career then you need to put time aside to actively look for work and this can be very time-consuming. Don't lose sight of your end goal and become so engrossed in your day-to-day part-time job that you forget what you're doing it all for!
Money, money, money
Once you have a part-time job and your hours are set, it can be very easy to think only about the money if you're offered extra shifts. While a little more cash might be welcome
- and good for your bank account - make sure you don't take on more than you can handle. The last thing you want is to spoil your work-life balance or miss out on a proper full-time graduate job because you couldn't say no to another £30.
Paying tax
Taxes can get very complicated as a student or part-time worker and you need to stay on top of things to get the most out of your part-time job. If you're a student and working in your holidays, you won't need to pay tax - you just have to ask for a P38S Student Employees form from your employer to prove you're exempt. However, if you're working during term time or are a graduate trying to earn some extra cash while job-hunting, you will have to pay tax, but only if you earn more than your Personal Allowance. Read our guide to taxes if you're unsure - being aware of the laws surrounding your own taxes could save you a lot of money.
Time to relax
The most important thing about working part-time is to ensure there's still at least some
relaxation. If you're studying or looking for work all day and then having to go straight into a long evening shift, you'll quickly resent the fact that you've got no free time. If you're desperate for the cash, see if budgeting better can help to reduce overheads and free up some time. Remember those priorities!

Section 2

Answer and Explanation

Questions 15-19
Read the online information about student part-time jobs on the side page.
The reading passage has six sections, A-F.
Which section contains the fallowing information? Write the correct letter A-F on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

A warning about the temptation of getting distracted for short-term financial gain

Answer: D
Supporting statement: “.....While a little more cash might be welcome
- and good for your bank account - make sure you don't take on more than you can handle.......”
Keywords: account, handle
Keyword Location: para D, line 2
Explanation: It is given that the D paragraph says that when people get a little cash then they try to have some more of it.

Advice about remembering a fundamental objective

Answer: C
Supporting statement: “.....Remember that the National Association of Student Employment Services suggests a sensible work limit of no more than 15 hours per week........”
Keywords: sensible, week
Keyword Location: para C, line 2
Explanation: It is given that the NASES have defined a sensible work limit for an individual so that he/she can follow a healthy lifestyle. It is around 15 hours per week.

An explanation of rules that apply to some students and not others

Answer: E
Supporting statement: “......If you're a student and working in your holidays, you won't need to pay tax - you just have to ask for a P38S Student Employees form from your employer to prove you're exempt.......”
Keywords: employer, tax
Keyword Location: para E,line 2
Explanation: It is given that the students who are working need to take care of the tax. The students who fall in the category of tax only need to pay it and not all students.

A warning about the possibility of exhaustion

Answer: A
Supporting statement: “.....However, you mustn't burn yourself out and become ineffective. It's easy to take on too much and suddenly find there's no time for fun........”
Keywords: ineffective, suddenly
Keyword Location: para A, line 4
Explanation: It is given that the students should work but they shouldn’t work so much they didn’t have time for fun.

A suggestion that working while you are a student will improve your chances of employment in the future

Answer: B
Supporting statement: “.....By getting a part-time job you're learning important transferable skills that you can make the most of later. You'll also earn yourself a bit of extra cash........”
Keywords: transferable, cash
Keyword Location: para B, line 3
Explanation: It is given that the students can get a part time job to learn new skills or improve the present skills. Hence it will increase the chances of employment.

Questions 20-22

Write NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS OR A NUMBER ONLY from the text for each answer.

Which phrase in section B means abilities that can be used in more than one situation?

Answer: TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
Supporting statement: “.....By getting a part-time job you're learning important transferable skills that you can make the most of later.......”
Keywords: transferable, later
Keyword Location: para B, line 3
Explanation: It is given that the job can help people learn transferable skills which means it can be used in different situations.

What is recommended as a reasonable amount of time to dedicate to a part-time job?

Answer: 15 HOURS PER WEEK
Supporting statement: “......Remember that the National Association of Student Employment Services suggests a sensible work limit of no more than 15 hours per week......”
Keywords: services, sensible
Keyword Location: para C, line 2
Explanation: It is given that the people of NASES have suggested that the ideal work life balance can be achieved by 15 hour work week.

What name is given to the amount you must exceed before you start paying tax?

Answer: PERSONAL ALLOWANCE
Supporting statement: “.....However, if you're working during term time or are a graduate trying to earn some extra cash while job-hunting, you will have to pay tax, but only if you earn more than your Personal Allowance........”
Keywords: hunting, allowance
Keyword Location: para E, line 5
Explanation: It is given that the person needs to earn more than their personal allowance to start paying tax.

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