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I was on "The Today Show" on Sunday speaking about how to find the best part-time jobs and what to think about before taking one. Television goes quickly so while we covered a lot, there was much more I wanted to say -- which I'll do here.
Before you start searching for a part-time job, there are a few things to consider, especially if you already have a job and you'll be layering part-time work on top of that.
1. If you have a full-time job, try to find something that is compatible with your full-time job. So, if you have a job that requires you to be functioning early in the morning hours, bartending into the wee hours would probably not be a wise choice. Also try to find work that doesn't create conflicts of interests with your main job -- so if you're a patent reviewer for the federal government, I wouldn't recommend consulting for inventors coming before the U.S. Patent Office.
2. Can you find a position that will take you in a direction you want to go? Say you were laid off from a position as an accountant and you still want to work in that field. Take a look at growing fields -- like healthcare and clean energy and see if any firms in those sectors are looking for accounting help.
3. Can you find a job that has some synergies with your current work? For example, if you work in a vet's office by day, you're obviously knowledgeable and comfortable around animals. Why not start a side business doing pet-sitting or training?
4. Keep in mind that part-time work doesn't have to be a "job." Working as a freelancer or consultant will likely give you more flexibility than will a position that has fixed hours and a fixed location.
5. Recognize that not all jobs are advertised. Often, positions are created when a person shows up with the right set of skills and the moxie to propose herself for the position (see Jennifer Bergeram's story in this post.)
6. Beware of postings that sound too good to be true. They probably are. Signs of a scam include: ads that pop up on your screen promising high pay without mentioning what the work is and jobs that require you to send in money or give your credit card for "training materials."
Where to look? The major job sites -- Yahoo! HotJobs, Monster, CareerBuilder -- all have postings for part-time positions. But also check out specialized sites -- Needlestackjobs, RatRaceRebellion, Snag a job, On-Ramps, HireMyMom, Flexjobs, UrbanInterns (this one is only in the NY area) -- focusing exclusively on part-time jobs.
