to take/take on/have/hold/work a part-time job...

[z7655431]

1. Many college students take a part-time job in retail business. (O or X?)
2. Many college students take on a part-time job in retail business. (O)
3. Many college students have a part-time job in retail business. (O)
4. Many college students hold a part-time job in retail business. (O)
5. Many college students work a part-time job in retail business. (O or X?)
I wrote these sentences, and I know sentence 2, 3, and 4 are correct, but are sentence 1 and 5 are also correct? In addition, is there any difference between sentence 1 and 2, i.e. to take or take on a part-time job? Thanks!

 

[emsr2d2]

I wouldn't use "retail business" in any of them. In BrE, it's perfectly acceptable to just use "retail". Sentence 1 is correct. I think sentence 5 is OK in AmE but in BrE we don't use "work a job".

The simplest and most natural versions, for me, are "Many college students have a part-time job in retail" or "Many college students work in retail part-time".

 

[z7655431]

I wouldn't use "retail business" in any of them. In BrE, it's perfectly acceptable to just use "retail". Sentence 1 is correct. I think sentence 5 is OK in AmE but in BrE we don't use "work a job".

The simplest and most natural versions, for me, are "Many college students have a part-time job in retail" or "Many college students work in retail part-time".

According to the Oxford dictionary, "retail" means "the selling of goods to the public, usually through shops/stores". "Retailing" means "the business of selling goods to the public, usually through shops/stores", and the example it gives is: career opportunities in retailing.
It seems that retailing would be correct in my sentence, while retail would not. It's very confused.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm just telling you what we use in standard, colloquial English. "Retail" is the collective term for businesses engaged in selling goods to people.

I work in retail.
She has a job in retail.
They used to work in retail but now they're international spies!

I find "... career opportunities in retailing" very unnatural, even if it did come from an Oxford dictionary.