Amy Lindgren
In last week’s column I described strategies for finding part-time work, which is a little different than searching for a full-time position.
The main thing to know when seeking part-time jobs is that employers are less likely to advertise these roles. Once you realize that, you can switch strategies. Now it’s a matter of identifying the work you want to do and approaching likely employers directly with a résumé tailored for the tasks they may need help with.
Since last week’s examples were for roles in retail and other entry-level opportunities, this week I’ll dive into part-time jobs at a professional level, or for those wanting to build a career path while working part-time.
The good news is that these options exist in most sectors, although again — they’re not always well-advertised. For example, in the licensed fields, part-time is actually quite common. Health care professionals and educators are frequently part-time workers, as are salon workers such as hair stylists, barbers and estheticians.
Office workers and clerical roles are another example where part-time work is common, as it is in call centers and other non-retail customer-service areas.
More examples: In education, colleges and universities have gravitated toward part-time instructors, while many nonprofits use part-time fundraisers, bookkeepers and program managers. I’ve also known part-time architects, engineers, development directors, IT project managers, and many others holding down highly skilled jobs at fewer than full-time hours.
One area people may not realize part-timers exist is in the higher echelon of business and nonprofit management. At the very top of the ladder, the designation may switch from “part-time” to “fractional” but the concept is the same.
A fractional executive might be a CFO handling a corporation’s finances at half or three-quarter of the usual hours. Company presidents or CEOs can also be fractional, but this would usually be for a small organization. Otherwise, the board would bring on a full-time but interim leader until the permanent replacement could be hired.
If you are seeking a part-time professional role, LinkedIn and networking will be key. In lieu of advertising, organizations may rely on referrals or hire a recruiter to find candidates. It’s also common for part-time roles to be initiated when the right candidate reaches out to an overwhelmed department manager.
If part-time professional roles appeal to you, these tips can help you land one.
• Understand the nuances of your field. For example, some actually will be advertised, such as part-time health care positions. Others might be contract or self-employment situations, as is often the case with hair stylists. And fractional executives are frequently filled by specialized placement agencies.
• Ask for more salary than you think. It helps to consider this in restaurant terms. Just as customers pay more than 50% when ordering half a sandwich, so should employers pay more than 50% of the full-time salary if you work half-time (or whatever percentage you work).
Since these are usually salaried positions (and not hourly wage jobs), building in extra helps account for those times when the job will run past your allotted hours, no matter how well you set your boundaries. The extra also accounts for the many aspects of a part-time position that mirror those of the full-time role — the same commute, for example, or the same amount of space in your house for the remote equipment, regardless of how many hours you’re working.
• Negotiate the benefits. You won’t have leverage to alter pension or 401(k) contributions, as those are set for the entire organization. But days off and even health care premiums are more flexible, as are bonuses or other perks.
• Get it in writing. This could be as simple as a confirming email that you write: “Thank you for the offer. I understand that I will be working part-time … ” Or, you might receive a regular employment letter or contract. In any case, having things spelled out from the beginning will help if there are organizational changes higher up or new policies are crafted.
• Keep clear boundaries. For example, if you work four days a week but others schedule meetings for your day off, you’ll need to clarify the conditions of your work for everyone.
• Stay up on your professional credentials and networking. Career-building can be harder to fit in on a part-time basis, but if this is your career path, it still needs tending. Remember to keep your résumé updated as well — in this unadvertised part of the market, you never know when the next opportunity will present itself.
Related Articles
Working Strategies: Finding a part-time job requires a plan
Working Strategies: Holding on when things get tough
Working Strategies: Using AI tools to prepare for interviews
Working Strategies: Part 3: Preparing for a possible buyout or layoff
Working Strategies: Weighing the buyout offer Part 2, personal considerations
Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.
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