A year ago, my personal and financial position changed. My full-time job was terminated due to the pandemic. I saw it as an opportunity to write the book I had always wanted to write.
To have time available, I decided not to look for a full-time job again, but to find a part-time job. I’ve learned a lot about the ways and means of finding a part-time job and decided to share my experience with others.
If you are looking for a part-time job and don’t know where to start, read on.
- About Part-Time Jobs
- Local Part-Times Job Versus Remote Online Work
- Part-Time Job Sites
- Sites Worth Using to Find a Part-Time Job
- Snagjob
- Craigslist
- Social Media
About Part-Time Jobs
The reason I’ve chosen the part-time work route is that with a part-time job, I work less than a full working week of about 40 hours. I now only go to my office for four hours every morning.
Part-time work is ideal for someone like me that needs time during the day for other things than work. But it is also an option for students needing money to pay for education-related expenses.
There is a mother of two primary school kids working with me in the same office. She works in the mornings and spends her time with her children in the afternoons.
Different Types Of Part-Time Work
Before I started to look for a part-time job, I had to decide what type of part-time work I wanted. I quickly realized that some people use the term “part-time work” interchangeably with “gig jobs.”
A gig job is usually a temporary position, while a part-time job is per definition an ongoing position. I’ve chosen what I call a ‘permanent part-time job’ and am very happy with my choice.
This means I have a set commitment of working hours weekly but is still much less than the full-time demands of a 40-hour workweek.
Local Part-Time Jobs Versus Remote Online Work
Many part-time workers work like me in the employer’s offices, but many choose to work remotely and online. Some employers allow part-time workers to work from home, but prescribe the specific hours the worker has to be available and working.
I considered it to apply for part-time work where I didn’t have to work specific hours. It was an appealing option to work with due dates and due times but to work the time of day or night when it suited me.
But I’ve realized I don’t have the self-discipline to work in this more freelance way!
How to Search for Part-Time Jobs
There are different ways to look for part-time jobs. I’ve tried to get a job by responding to classifieds, but I’m still waiting for some of the employers’ to respond! Then I decided to look for positions online.
I’ve had great success with online applications and I’m now in a job that I’ve found online. This is, in my mind, the optimal way to search for part-time jobs.
However, all online job searching and job application processes are not the same. Here’s some of the information I’ve found.
Part-Time Job Sites
I’ve found that job sites generally offer different routes to search for part-time jobs.
Employers can submit details regarding vacancies. The sites always indicated whether I had to apply via the site or directly to the employer.
Another route that is also generally part of a job site is to allow job seekers to submit details and a resume to the site. Employers then contact the job seeker. I’ve followed both these ways simultaneously.
Applying Using a Job Site
I started with the route to search for employers looking for part-time employees. I searched for job sites online. On the site, I then searched for “part-time” jobs, but I quickly realized that I had to scroll through hundreds of vacancies unless I refined my filtering process.
The tip I have for anyone looking on a job site for vacancies is to use the “pyramid”-model of searching. When I stated what type of job I was looking for, that I wanted to work locally and gave the locality, etc. I had only relevant vacancies to look at.
I simultaneously posted my resume with details of what I was looking for on the job sites. I received responses from both routes and was able to make my choice.
Sites Worth Using to Find a Part-Time Job
I’ve also found that most part-time job sites are free to use. Some require a subscription fee or take a one-off percentage of earnings once an application has been successful.
Subscription prices can range from $6.95 to $49.95 for durations of a week to a year.
When I started to look for a part-time job last year I searched online for job sites. Although I’ve not used all of the sites on my list, I want to share some detail regarding the sites with you.
Indeed
Indeed is one of the biggest job platforms all across the world. I’ve found that although they cater to a wide range of job types, part-time work is an important section for them. They also offer remote and local jobs.
Indeed has part-time listings for almost every industry. These include finance, retail, marketing, food service, and human resources. I was able to narrow my search by job title, location, salary range, and level of experience.
This site also provides a salary comparison and a company reviews section. I could compare salaries and other benefits between different potential employers. Indeed is free for job seekers.
Snagajob
If you are looking for hourly work Snagajob is a good choice. More than 700,000 employers use Snagajob to post listings. When used it, I found it very user-friendly with an easy-to-use interface.
Snagajob has literally thousands of part-time jobs in a variety of industries. I easily searched for jobs by keyword and location. And then I filtered the results by selecting “part-time” on the results page.
I also used the opportunity offered by Snagjob to create a profile. My information appeared in employer searches during the time I was looking for a job.
Upwork
If you’re looking for a more freelancer type of job, Upwork is definitely a site you have to use. Currently, there are 16 million freelancers and 5 million clients on their platform.
I used Upwork for its high-quality, part-time freelance job listings. Upwork offers opportunities for job seekers across many sectors, including administrative services, customer service, data entry, engineering, writing, and translation.
To find jobs on Upwork, I had to create a free profile. Then Upwork first had to approve my profile before I could start applying for vacancies. I didn’t have to pay Upwork any upfront fee and the creating of my profile was free. If I get a job on Upwork, I have to pay them a percentage of my earnings.
Craigslist
I have used Craigslist very successfully – I found my current part-time job through this site. Craigslist is free for job seekers to use and is ideal to find local jobs.
Because they specialize in local jobs, I’ve found many vacancies in my city on this site that have not been listed on other more global sites.
Craigslist is also the only site I could have found that differentiates between “gigs” and “part-time” jobs.
This feature made it very easy for me to select the type of part-time job I wanted. I didn’t have to work through “gigs” to find more permanent part-time jobs.
Other Online Methods to Use
Another online route to search for a job that I’ve followed is to search on the web for the type of industry and jobs I’m interested in. If you want to work locally like me, search only for businesses near you.
What I did was to send an email to the human resources department of every business in my area where I would like to work. I included my resume and clearly indicated that I need a part-time job.
Social Media
I have many friends who are now also in part-time jobs who found out about the job vacancy through social media.
By sharing with friends on social media they were available for part-time work, they often received word-of-mouth information of places to apply.
Networking this way, and through business social media sites like LinkedIn is a great way to hear about openings or inquire about them.
Part-Time Earnings
The average annual salary for a part-time worker is $26,507. This varies depending on the location and role.
Part-time employees’ salaries are often determined by an hourly fee. On average, $13 is the per-hour fee, but the hourly amount differs from city to city and industry to industry.
Some of the fees I’ve seen are $13 per hour for retail, $22 per hour for marketing, and $28 per hour for medical coding. Computer programmers earn about $29 per hour.
Conclusion
There are many job sites available on the internet where anyone looking for a part-time job can apply.
On these sites, there are vacancies posted by potential employers and you can also post your details for employers to see and perhaps make an offer to employ you.