75% of Freshmen College Students "Earn Pocket Money Before Admission... First Part-Time Job in College Life"

'Wanted to Earn Pocket Money' Overwhelming Response

Three out of four freshmen about to enter university have already taken on their 'first part-time job.' The majority of them stated that they started working part-time to earn their own pocket money. On the 28th, the part-time job portal 'AlbaCheonguk' conducted a survey of 190 prospective university students preparing to enter university in March, revealing that 74.7%, or three out of four, began their 'first-ever part-time job' after the college entrance exam and before starting university.

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The reasons prospective university students took on their first part-time job included not only financial reasons but also a strong desire to earn money independently. Respondents ranked their reasons as follows: ▲to earn pocket money (60.6%), ▲to try earning money on their own (55.6%), ▲to gain part-time job experience (43.7%), followed by ▲to save a large sum for university tuition and other expenses (17.6%), ▲to fulfill their part-time job aspirations (16.9%), and ▲to cover living expenses (11.3%).

When seeking their first part-time job, 80.3% overwhelmingly used 'part-time job platforms' such as AlbaCheonguk. Other methods included 'introductions from friends or acquaintances (12.0%)' and 'job postings or advertisements on SNS (7.7%).'

[Image source=Albacheonguk]

The duration of the first part-time job was relatively short, with half responding '1 to 3 months (50.0%).' This was followed by '1 week to 1 month (19.7%),' and responses of 'N hours to 1 day' and 'within 1 week' were 9.9% and 7.7%, respectively.

Regarding the first paycheck from their first part-time job, 62.0% said it was 'less than 500,000 won,' followed by ▲500,000 won to less than 1,000,000 won (28.2%) and ▲1,000,000 won to less than 2,000,000 won (8.5%). The average monthly wage for prospective university students' first part-time job was calculated to be 496,000 won.

Challenges experienced during their first part-time job were also identified. 74.6% said they faced difficulties while working part-time, with 'understanding part-time job duties (21.7%)' being the most frequently cited issue. Additionally, there were difficulties related to 'working hours violations and non-compliance with break times (13.2%),' 'adapting to the work atmosphere (12.3%),' and 'customer service (11.3%).'