“Having more free time is likely more important for happiness than having more money.” – lead researcher at Harvard Business School
Getting a part-time job is more than just updating your resume and crossing your fingers that you land an interview. Your journey to hearing the phrase, “Welcome to the team” begins with understanding what a part-time job entails, the various types of part-time work, the benefits and potential drawbacks, and so much more. This step by step guide will not only prepare you with the latest savvy tips and insights for revamping your resume but will also prepare you for your interview and what to expect from your paycheck to your benefits. If knowledge is power then let this guide empower you to achieve your goal of finding a part-time job that works for you.
What is part-time work?
From parents of young children to students wanting to learn a new skill, part-time employment is an appealing option that can provide flexibility, a better work-life balance, and the opportunity for growth. There are both advantages and disadvantages, of course, such as the lack of guaranteed health benefits and perks that one would expect with a full-time job.”Whatever your reason for seeking part-time employment, here is the guide to understanding, preparing for, and getting a part-time job.
Is a part-time job good right for you?
Students
A part-time job is a great opportunity for students to have hands-on experience to accompany what they are learning in school.
Parents
There is a trend towards parents scaling back from full-time work to part-time work due to the demands of the current pandemic, and the needs of many parents having to balance remote work with at-home learning for their children.
Adults looking for more work-life balance flexibility
A gig economy is an economy where temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace where jobs are commonplace, and companies lean toward hiring independent contractors, freelance workers, and part-time employees instead of full-time employees. A gig economy can allow for a more work-life balance. Prior to the current pandemic, younger generations were already seeking the work-life balance and flexibility of a gig economy. A Marketplace-Edison research poll found workers aged 18-34 were more likely to rank a flexible schedule and remote work opportunities as more important than workers 35 years of age and older.
Are all part-time jobs the same?
Historically, part-time work has been driven by shift-work, but we have all heard of the gig economy. Both have beneficial and negative aspects, so be mindful as you start your part-time job search, “What companies do I want to apply to, and is this position shift-work or not?”
What is shift work?
Shift work is also under the umbrella of part-time work. It is a practice designed to make use of, or provide services across, 24 hours around the clock each day of the week. This type of practice sees the day divided into shifts or set periods of time when workers are on the clock. The term, “shift work” includes both extended night shifts and work schedules where employees rotate and change shifts. Shift work is common in emergency medical services, law enforcement, hospitals, emergency medical services, firefighting, senior care, and security.
What is a gig job and a gig worker?
Gig workers are independent contractors who work for online platforms, as contract firm workers, they may work as temporary or on-call. Gig workers can involve formal agreements with on-demand companies to provide services to the company’s clients.
What are the Benefits and Drawbacks of a Part-Time Job?
The Benefits
Job security
Job security is always a toss-up between full-time and part-time employment. For the most part, part-time employees tend to make less income overall, which makes them less expendable because they do not come equipped with a bigger salary and the added employer expense of benefits.
Time flexibility
Part-time work can allow you the extra time to learn a new skill set or network with people in an industry or field you are trying to break into while supporting work-life balance. Shutting down your laptop earlier means more time with family and friends, time to fuel other projects in writing, civic duties, and artistic endeavors. The work-life balance in connection with part-time work can help reduce stress levels and improve your overall health.
High-paying part-time jobs
From casual babysitting to starting a savvy part-time tutoring job, part-time jobs can be lucrative. From the healthcare profession to computer support and web design, people are always in need of this niche and even more so due to the pandemic. Many jobs require an elaborate degree of face-to-face networking from financial advisors to CPAs and beyond. Due to the coronavirus, events and networking have migrated to the virtual realm. This has caused a major disruption in the usual way of doing business and has heavily relied upon skilled workers in tech and marketing to be the bridge to the current, evolving way of communicating and networking. 2020 is the year for finding high-paying part-time jobs if you are great with computers and/or design. Demand from more services from people to work in new avenues, including in-store shopping and delivery services, has also been forced some companies to make a pivot allowing for increased payroll deployed to part-time and shift workers.
Part-time work can earn you new skills and land you future roles
The time you spend in revamping your resume and investing in learning a new skill or working part-time in a field you want to flourish in can be a pathway to landing a future full-time opportunity or role. From learning skills like time management to adding new resume additions from a new part-time job, many rewards can follow. Effective time management is a pertinent trait to learn. Recruiters want employees who work efficiently and can prioritize tasks to meet deadlines. Learning how to incorporate time management surrounding your outside commitments or hobbies can be a great value-add to your personal work experience and your resume.
Potential Drawbacks
While flexibility, work-life balance, and potential security all contribute to the lure of part-time work, part-time employees need to be aware of the possible drawbacks.
1) Most companies tend to not offer health benefits or retirement benefits to part-time employees. However, it can depend on your employer.
2) Oftentimes, part-time employees have fewer chances of receiving a promotion.
3) You may earn more time in your day, but less money overall.
4) You may miss out on other career opportunities while you are investing your time and energy on your part-time job.
Getting Hired
A part-time job search is a full-time Job
Even if you are looking for part-time work, a job search is a big commitment of your time. Your resume should be fresh and revamped to reflect your most recent work, education, and experience. Many websites offer a bevy of modern and classic resume designs with interactive tools to make the user experience smooth. Simply upload your words and download a beautiful, new PDF with your name on it.
Best Practices for Finding a Part-Time Job
Where to look for a part-time job?
Hone in on search industries that offer part-time positions. Companies like FlexJobs offer a unique platform where job seekers can find work that is remote, flexible, and part-time. Look at algorithms on social media sites that populate companies who are in the midst of a hiring surge. You can find part-time job listings in a variety of places, such as student job boards and social media platforms including Indeed and LinkedIn. For most online job searches, you can narrow down your search by including keywords in your search such as “part-time”, “healthcare” or “remote” to focus on the specifics of the part-time job you are looking for.
When you search companies that provide a certain amount of part-time job listings on average, you can not only find your part-time job match, but also a job that matches your values, provides transparency in what your salary should be, and offers first-hand feedback from verified, current employees so that you can earn some insight before you even apply.
Utilize your social media resources. Make sure that your LinkedIn is up to date with a profile that pops, and be sure to let recruiters know that you are “open for work”. You can do so by selecting to incorporate the green photo frame around your profile picture or you can go more incognito by simply adding on your profile the option to let recruiters know you are actively seeking part-time job opportunities.
Engage with companies that you are interested in by tossing them a “like” or commenting on a post that interests you. Oftentimes, you might be surprised that someone in that company checks out your profile. Should this happen, you can choose to email them with purchased LinkedIn credits. Resources like LinkedIn Premium come with a monthly charge that allows you to network with access to companies in your job search.
Consider working with a headhunter or someone in talent acquisition. You can find someone using a Google search, references from your network, and LinkedIn to find a job matchmaker who gets paid to help you on your part-time job journey.
Speaking of social media, have you checked your profile and content recently?
Check the content that you have shared on social media. If you think it may negatively influence any potential employer, it is a good idea to make your social media profiles private for the duration of your job search.
Time for a fresh resume!
Here are some guidelines on how your resume should look and what it should highlight so that your brand is on-brand.
- Keep it short
- Get specific
- Include any and all tech skills
- Emphasize soft skills
- Include links to your portfolio website and LinkedIn
- An overcrowded resume is hard to read.
- Use a summary statement at the start instead of an objective. This tells the recruiter how you are going to be a value to them versus what you want.
- Spotlight your skills and use keywords that match the keywords the job that you are applying for utilizes and is searching for. This helps your resume make it through the first round of resume scanning software.
- Recruiters still prefer that you list your last experience first.
- Whenever you can, emphasize your role by adding bullet points just like this section in this part-time guide. Did we get your attention? Good.
- Quantify your successes in your resume. Don’t just say you are a grant writer, show it in the numbers. For example, “I brought in $100,000 in grant money in the span of four months.”
- Companies are always delighted to see if you have given back. It humanizes who you are beyond the page. List any volunteer work you have had.
- Lastly, use strong action verbs peppered throughout your resume. Words like, “cultivated”, “streamlined”, and “amplified”. Here is a great list of strong action verbs to pull from.
A cover letter is often optional. If you want to stand out amongst the masses, write a good one, and always attach it to your application. Here are some tips on how to write a compelling cover letter.
Congratulations, you made it through a major hoop! You have landed an interview, now what?
What should you expect in an interview? Oft-used full-time and part-time job interview questions continue to circulate and recirculate. Review the most common questions below to ensure you are prepared with your answers for your interview.
- What are your weaknesses?
- Why should we hire you?
- What are your pay expectations?
- Why do you want to work here?
- What hours are you available to work?
- Why did you leave or why are you leaving your current job?
When should you expect to hear back from a company after your interview?
The hiring process varies from job to job. Some may choose to hire you immediately or within 48 hours of your interview if they are gobsmacked by your experience and resume or are in desperate need to fulfill this role. A larger company may take weeks to hire a candidate depending on the number of people who interviewed for the position. For example, a hospital might take an exceeding amount of time in hiring an anesthesiologist because of the level of experience needed. Or, they may hire for this position a few days after the interview due to the hospital’s critical needs. It is ok to consider asking how soon a company is looking to fill the position you are interviewing for so that you will not exit the interview with this factor weighing on your mind.
Gold stars all around! You have landed a part-time job. Show me the money. How are part-time employees paid?
Part-time employees are paid by the hour. They may be asked to submit a timesheet or an invoice at the end of each week to ensure they are paid for the time that they work.
In today’s gig economy, you get paid for the work you do when you do it whether you are an Uber driver or an in-store shopper. Working for a company like Instacart, an online grocery store, enables its employees to start earning quickly, and the ability to work with a great team and set your own schedule. This part-time job has basic requirements allowing for the majority of job seekers to tap in seamlessly to start earning a paycheck immediately. Their requirements are that you have to be at least 18 years old, eligible to work in the U.S., have access, and can effectively use a smartphone along with the ability to lift 50 lbs. Employees make their own hours at companies like Instacart. Their motto is, “Work when you want”. There are no set hours. An employee simply opens the app in the designated store whether it is Target, Ralph’s, or Kroger, and is able to “shop” for orders received from customers whenever time permits for the employee’s schedule.
No two online grocery store employment opportunities work in exactly the same way. Whole Foods Market takes a different approach with its part-time employees. Whole Foods employees work shifts. The basic requirements are pretty much the same, however, Whole Foods requires a high school diploma. The difference is in the scheduled shifts and hours. To become an employee, team members receive their schedule three weeks in advance, which negates the part-time perk of flexibility. The average shift is 4-8 hours long, so there is a time commitment for working for Whole Foods versus working on your terms as with Instacart.
How do benefits work when you are a part-time employee?
Benefits are a compensation package that you receive from an employer in addition to a regular paycheck. The most common benefits include health insurance, dental, vision, and life insurance, paid time off (PTO) and 401(k) retirement options, childcare benefits, health fitness perks training stipends, and an all-access pass to the Nespresso machine. Part-time employees are often not eligible for these benefits. However, it depends on the employer.
Sick days and holidays for part-time employees
Do you get sick days?
All states vary in their rules and regulations surrounding paid sick days or leave. This resource here will allow you to look up your state and know if you are entitled to sick days.
What happens on holidays?
According to Commerce.gov, the offices of Human Resources Management, to be entitled to a paid holiday off, an employee must be regularly scheduled. Meaning, work hours are scheduled in advance of the week in which they worked. Part-time employees who do not have regularly scheduled work hours are not entitled to a paid holiday off.
Other critical items to be mindful of:
1) The U.S. has employment laws that apply to both part-time and full-time employees. Employers are instructed to state the rules that apply to their part-time employees and full-time employees. Know the laws governing your paycheck and how you receive payment. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, part-time employees are exempt from the rules that fall under The Fair Labor Standards Act. The law requires employers to pay the basic minimum wage to full-time employees and to pay overtime pay for hours that exceed a typical work week. Part-time employees are also subject to the state and federal tax deductions that include Social Security and Medicare from payroll checks.
2) Part-time employees work less than 40 hours per week. The title, “part-time” applies to anyone working up to 39 hours per week.
3) Part-time employers are usually subject to the same company policies and procedures as other full-time employees, so make sure you get a handbook or guide to best understand the policies that you are working under.
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.”-Henry Ford.
Hopefully, this guide will empower you to think you can on your journey to find your next part-time job. In conclusion, below are some companies that are currently hiring part-time workers.
About the company: Instacart is a grocery delivery startup that delivers in as short as an hour. It focuses on delivering groceries and home essentials, Instacart already has over 500,000 items from local stores in its catalog. Customers can choose from a variety of local stores including Safeway, Whole Foods, Super Fresh, Harris Teeter, Shaw’s, Mariano’s, Jewel-Osco, Stanley’s, and Costco.
Check Out Instacart’s Careers Page Here!
About the company: Whole Foods Market is an American grocery chain that exclusively sells natural and organic products. The company was established in 1980 on the belief that where food comes from, and how it’s grown, matters. For them, it meant creating quality standards, working with suppliers who achieve them, and sharing that information with their customers. The company prides itself on selling food products without artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats.
Check Out Whole Foods Market’s Careers Page Here!
About the company: goPuff allows users the joy of browsing the shelves without the hassle of going to the store. It takes seconds to navigate the app and minutes for goPuff’s Driver-Partners to deliver the customer’s needs and wants. goPuff’s strategically located facilities cut out the middleman allowing for a flat fee of $1.95.
Check Out goPuff’s Careers Page Here!
About the company: Uber develops, markets, and operates a ridesharing mobile application that allows consumers to submit a trip request that is routed to crowd-sourced partner drivers. Its smartphone application connects drivers with people who need a ride. Its application enables users to arrange and schedule transportation and/or logistics services with third-party providers.
Check Out Uber’s Careers Page Here!
About the company: Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing, and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments, and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries.
Check Out Sysco’s Careers Page Here!
About the company: Lyft is a fast-growing ridesharing company in the U.S. and is available to 95 percent of the US population. The company designs, markets, and operates a mobile application that matches drivers with passengers who request rides, and also allows payment through the app. It also allows riders to schedule rides up to seven days in advance.
Check Out Lyft’s Careers Page Here!
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