Flexible work (also called flex work) is defined as a method of work that suits the needs of employees so that they have the freedom to choose the working hours or the place of work that suits them. An example of it is working from home or from any other place if the person lives outside the city or country where their workplace is located.
As for working hours, employees may choose to work during weekends or on specific days in accordance with their study times.
In this episode, Mr. Mohammad Al Sabeeh addresses the importance of flexible work that officially started in Saudi Arabia in 2020, which enables Saudi youth to work on hourly rates according to a short-term contractual relationship. Although it does not provide them with medical insurance such as working full-time, it allows them to work on a flexible and smooth work schedule as agreed on with the company.
The growth of the concept of flexible work was greatly affected by the need of companies. On some occasions (such as the Hajj season), there is a need to hire more people. In this case, it makes no sense to employ people on a long-term contract. Here lies the importance of flexible work as companies hire people on short-term contracts either during the Hajj season or the seasons in which there is high demand.
As mentioned by Mr. Al Sabeeh, a great advantage provided by training and part-time work for university students or even younger students, in addition to earning money, is acquiring personal skills, such as social intelligence (through dealing with people) and direct experience away from academic study (through working in any field, whether as a cashier in a restaurant, a waiter in a cafe, or even in the sharing economy field).
Moreover, discipline is another skill to master for those interested in flexible work because flexible work - like full-time work - requires employees to have specific characteristics
When Choosing the right workplace, each person needs to focus on the kind of experience they are looking to have as learning from your own experience is much more beneficial than listening and learning from others.
In addition to training and flexible work as ways to earn more experience before fully joining the workforce, another advice for the youth is to find role models in specific fields and try to learn from them by following their activity. Social media has made it much easier to get to know these people's opinions more closely and learn from their experiences. This might help young people build the practical aspect of their field.
