FRONT STAGE AND BACK STAGE : A POTRAIT OF THE SELF PRESENTATION OF PART-TIME WORKING STUDENTS

Abstract

College students who study while working part-time face the demand of presenting themselves differently across two domains—academic and occupational. This study describes the self-presentation of part-time working students, covering front stage and back stage self-management, impression management strategies, influencing factors, and impacts of navigating dual roles. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, the research involved four part-time working students as primary informants and four secondary informants for triangulation. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation, analyzed using Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña's (2014) interactive model. Findings show all informants displayed a front stage oriented toward friendliness and responsibility, while their back stage served as a private space for concealing exhaustion. Impression management was grounded in honesty and consistency, shaped by need for approval, self-awareness, personality, social context, personal goals, and social interaction. Self-presentation brought positive impacts like improved communication and work readiness, alongside negative impacts including fatigue and burnout risk.