324: Finding a Part-Time Job as a Professional

A listener reached out to me about this topic and it resonated with me. At the beginning of the year, I started casually looking for a part-time job in Tallahassee – not so much for the money as for the human interaction. As a solopreneur working from home, I feel pretty isolated. I thought a few hours a week would help me meet some new people, possibly make some new friends, and have more human contact.

I set up a search on Indeed.com – and what I’ve received since then has been pretty pathetic. Granted, I didn’t do much to refine my search because I was open to any number of things. Mostly what I knew was what I DIDN’T want – full-time, inflexibility with my schedule, being a front-line contact for people.

I got custodial jobs, server jobs, and delivery driver jobs. Of course, these are important roles and someone needs to do them – just not me.

So when the listener suggested this title, I put it on my list of topics I wanted to explore for an upcoming episode. So here goes.

What exactly are you looking for?

Some definitions are in order. There are professional part-time jobs for people who want to pursue an opportunity within their career field – just not on a full-time basis. They could be downshifting into retirement, raising children, or helping with an elderly parent.

Then there are part-time jobs for professionals – perhaps to make a bit more money, to (like me) fulfill an unmet need in their regular job, or to pursue a passion.

It is important for you to assess why you want a part-time job and what your non-negotiables are for that job – just as you should do for a full-time position.

Where should you look?

Most job boards have a filter for part-time positions, so you’ll want to utilize that. When I tried LinkedIn, I was able to filter for part-time, mid-senior level, and in-person; I could have also filtered for a salary range.

I tried this out on Indeed as well, but wasn’t able to simultaneously filter for as many criteria as with LI. With part-time, I couldn’t find a way to also search for a type of job – and when I did, it reverted to full-time positions. Perhaps Indeed isn’t the best place to look for a professional part-time job, but could work if you are looking for a part-time job as a professional.

I didn’t try other mainstream online sites, but most if not all of them should have the part-time filter – the question is what other filters you can engage at the same time.

There are also sites that cater to part-time work, like flexjobs.com. Many sites have cropped up since Covid specifically for remote work, so if that’s what you are looking for, here are a few good ones:

-remote.co

-ratracerebellion.com

-weworkremotely.com

There is also the gig economy with sites like Upwork if you have a skill set that lends itself to this type of work.

I want to briefly mention turning a hobby or passion into something you get compensated for. When I was in higher education, I started a jewelry business – I had no background in it but started beading and fell in love. I quickly realized I could either have a very expensive hobby or start selling my work and so I did. It was time-consuming and in no way easy, but very flexible and it provided a creative outlook my job just didn’t.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the option of multilevel marketing – now often referred to as network marketing or direct selling. While this industry is often painted with the broad-brush stroke of pyramid schemes, many are legitimate and it can be a very flexible source of additional income. Because it is commission-based, this might be a better option for someone who doesn’t have to rely on a certain amount of steady income.

The question then becomes: How do you find the non-scammy opportunities? I found a good article on this topic on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-choose-network-marketing-company-ion-ivanciu/

This article talks about how to determine the type of MLM you might want to choose. I took it a step further and Googled “best MLM Companies in 2023.” I won’t mention any results because those will quickly be dated and should not be your primary driver, but a little research will show you the possibilities. You could also try a search like “Best MLM companies in ___.”

How else can you find opportunities?

 -Look for small, local employers – particularly if you want an in-person job, although remote work might also be an option. Companies that have a wide range of work to be done, but not necessarily enough of any one skill set to require a full-time employee, would be ideal. I have a friend who works Tuesday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., doing administrative tasks for a glass company. She’s 79 years old and loves it! Network for these opportunities.

-Are there solopreneurs you can provide services to in your area of expertise? The field of Virtual Assistants – known as VAs – has grown exponentially since Covid, so that’s a pretty crowded field these days. However, perhaps all you want is a couple of solopreneurs who each need a few hours a month of bookkeeping work or website support. Network for these opportunities.

-Look into cultural, religious, or community organizations – again, these may be leanly staffed and would welcome part-time help. Museums, theaters, arts-agencies, churches, temples, and libraries all tend to rely heavily on part-time staff. Network for these opportunities.

-Other areas that hire part-time workers are education, healthcare, and sales. Could you be an adjunct college professor or teach online courses? What about part-time clerical work at your child’s school? Could you get a second part-time nursing job? What about part-time sales? Network for these opportunities.

As I began working on this topic, I realized just how vast it is and how much information is out there. I covered the what – what you are looking for; the where – where to look online for these jobs; and the how – how to look for these opportunities. I didn’t touch on the networking process, how to apply, how to follow-up; I’ve covered these topics in other episodes.

I realize now how much I missed the boat in my initial search – a lesson that no matter how experienced we are in an area, we still have more to learn. Humbling, but an important lesson.