July 14, 2004
WHAT SORT OF PART-TIME JOB SHOULD I GET?
I could use some advise. Even though I have a new job that pays more than my last job, I'm thinking about getting a part-time job. Let me explain... because of a shortfall created by a lack of income from the sale of a business I once owned in Colorado (the company which purchased my company has missed a series of payments already this year, and has also indicated that they're about to declare bankruptcy), and because I have some important short-term obligations and interests which I wish to pursue, coupled along with a few lofty yet very attainable long-term goals, Iím seriously considering getting a part-time (something along the lines of 15-20 hours per week). As most of you know, Iím a full-time acquisitions editor for a large publisher of lifestyle books. By day I sit at a desk where I use a computer and talk a lot on the telephone with authors, literary agents, and co-workers... sooooo, a part-time desk job doesn't really interest me!. A couple of ideas I've been playing around with include:
Dishing out chicken salad at a Wild Oats supermmarket sort of placeÖ because I think itíd be fun! Wild Oats seems like such a great place to work. Everyone's always so friendly, and the chain itself is often up to something good and trendy.
Working in a bookstoreÖ because it would give me a new perspective on my full-time job.
Like I said, I want to work around 15 or 20 hours a week. I would be able to start at around 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, and would want to wrap things up no later than 10:00 p.m. or so on the weeknights. As for the weekends, I'd be willing to work an 8-hour to 10-hour shift on either Saturday or Sunday but not both. My goal for now would be to pull in an extra $350.00 per month in take-home earnings.
What do you think? What sort of part-time job would you seek if you were in my shoes. For those of you that do hold down two jobs, any words of advice... any tips or tricks for making it work?
Posted by Mikal at July 14, 2004 8:07 AM
| TrackBack
Do something that you always thought would be fun. If you get a job at a clothing store you like, such as Structure, Eddie Bauer, etc.. then you would also get awesome clothing discounts. Or work in a flower shop (the ladies would love you for all the free flowers you get to take home). A book store is pretty ironic. However, Mikal...I have devised my own list of job possibilities for you in the part time market:
1. Book store (book discounts)
2. Porn store (well..we will just say it offers some "perks")
3. Bike Line or some other bike company (bike gear discounted)
4. Dick's sporting goods (more discounts and you would be my best buddy)
5. Waiter(tips alway a plus and free meals)
6. Strip club (bouncer???)
7. Ice cream store (oops, scratch that...I would be the only one benefiting...)
8. Starbucks (you can get free coffee and meet people from all walks of life)
9. Half Price Books (they love hippies)
10. Pimp...but you may need to work past 10pm nightly.
Mike,
DO NOT get yourself into a retail situation. Do something that you love to do that utilizes your talent(s). I could see you doing some of the following:
1) Pers. Trainer at Bally's
2) Tennis Inst. at the YMCA after school program.
3) Tutor at Sylvan Learning Center
4) Online Tutor
5) Dog walker (thats my pers. fav)
The guy I taught w/ last year had a night job from 4:30 to 8:30 @ $18 bucks an hr teaching GED night school 3 nights a week...Not bad !!!
I will keep thinking but I DO NOT want to see you behind a counter....to be cont....
I agree with what JJ said. Retail is a pain in the butt! If you work at a bookstore in the evenings they will make you stay until closing time, which is usually 11:00 pm and then you have to stay and do the close-up routine, so that won't get you out until midnight (I know this because I applied to Borders a couple of years ago for a PT 2nd job and they told me I'd have to stay late and work weekends). I also agree that teaching tennis would be a good idea, too. You could get back into playing a sport you really enjoy. Good Luck! :o)
I'm going to throw my 2 cents in for 2 reasons:
1. I work at the same place you do and do the same job for a different line of books.
2. I took a similiar task on myself about 2 years ago.
In theory, this is a great idea. In practice, it's not so good if you wind up at a place where they do not care/ understand that the job is not your first, or even second priority. So hopefully I can share my tale and you can avoid the same pitfalls that I did.
I worked retail over the holidays from October through February to make extra money mostly to feed my bike habit. Come February, I had an exhaustion in my bones that I had never felt before, several missed family and social events because most places are open all the time, an extra 10 pounds, neglected things at my day job because I would have to rush out of here and a lot of nice bike stuff that I never had time to use.
The main issues with many part time jobs:
1. You are due there at 5:30 pm. You get stuck at your first job doing something urgent, so you end up rushing there, stuffing whatever candy bar that was in your car in your mouth for dinner, and you don't work out that morning because you are so tired from going to bed late from having to work this same job the night before.
2. Related to problem one - Most part time places do not do consistent schedules for employees, they schedule 1-2 weeks out, and it always changes. I fell victim to this, and had the added bonus of working extra because I was more reliable than the average retail employee.
3. I would sign up to work when I was not at my day job, so I ended up sacrificing many holidays and weekends because these places are open the days after Thanksgiving and Christmas, and as the part time help you don't get good schedules. Another issue was I wanted to pull 10 hour shifts on the weekends when I could to burn hours, and generally places do not allow that for labor law reasons unless it is a restaurant.
So my suggestions for avoiding above scenarios:
1. Get on at a a place that is not open 360 days of the year.
2. Be firm about when, how much etc. you can work and stick to it.
3. Find out if they will let you have a set schedule that is the same each week.
4. Be mentally prepared to give up some flexibility in your own schedule, and days that you would normally have off.
5. Work at a place that does not have wicked late hours. Starbucks, Borders and B&N are open until 11pm. By the time you get home, unwind etc. it's midnight. This way you can still get up and work out in the morning. I think Trader Joes and Wild Oats both close at 9, and everyone that works at both places always seem super nice.
6. Also work someplace that is close to either where you live, or your day job. This will save time in the car.
7. Work someplace like your gym - so many benefits, you get discounted membership, can work out while you are there etc.
8. Even if it is someplace that feeds an interest of yours like a bike shop, it is still retail when the day is done. That was my mistake. Retail is difficult, people can be nasty, most places are open crazy hours, and even as a part timer I was one of the most reliable employees so I would be at the mercy of the high turnover, people not showing up etc.
The trainer suggestion is a great idea, but requires certification. You can get that fairly quickly and for about $500, I have some details. This would be more flexible too.
Good luck and you know where to find me if you have more questions...
I know it's not your thing, but what about tending bar? A buddy of mine has been doing that for the past year and picked it up real quick, without bartending school or anything. Most people these days just order beer or simple cocktails. You'd be a natural, with your hospitality and listening skills. (It's too bad you lost all that weight. You don't have the physique to be a bouncer anymore.)
What about a staff position at one of the places you're volunteering already?
I know some people here who got into tutoring the young, dumb and rich. It's a pretty good racket.
And I second Katie's caveats: I just started a second job that's just 5-10 hours a week and it makes for a real grind sometimes. Makes it real hard to enjoy my summer or the extra money I'm earning.
Sounds like JJ has it covered on this one MB. If you want to get a part-time job, make sure itís something that you really enjoy doing. I have a freelance job basically doing the same thing I do all day long at work, and it sucks. I hate not having any free time and always being under the gun because of deadlines. The money is good, but the lack of sleep, burning out, and no time for a life bites.
With your beautiful personality and your passion for life, you do need to be working with people. I vote against Wild Oats, itís a cool place to shop, but retail sucks (been there done that, donít think youíll love it). Instead why not do something to compliment your God-given talents...
1. Offer tennis lessons to the snotty rich kids around here, or lessons at one of the many country clubs in the area.
2. Get a job at the gym being a trainer.
3. Or anything working with children, you love kids.
If you donít enjoy what you are doing, and it eats up all of your personal time, it will hurt you more than it helps. You may have a little more money in your pocket, but you wonít have any free time to do the things you enjoy doing most. And more importantly, you wonít have time to live your life, which is what this new career change was all about wasnít it...starting over, meeting new friends. There are many opportunities available out there for a smart guy like you. You can make quite a bit of money too w/o hard labor, just use your noggin kid.
Looks like you're getting a lot of advice, so here's just a little more...
1. I'd suggest something like working at a health club. Not as a personal trainer, because that involves various certifications. Instead, work at the check-in counter. The club where I work out is always looking to hire someone for nights and weekends. If you work at the club, membership is free.... Plus, if you concerned about getting in your own workout, being at the club would help you meet this goal.
2. Freelance website design/development. You've done a great job with Belicove.com. Why not do web design every once in a while. While this isn't as steady, it is something that can be accomplished from home, and if you're busy with other commitments, it's ok to "turn down" a job.
3. If you go the Porn store route, be sure you either work at the counter, or as a product demo person. No one wants to be a jizz mopper!!!
4.Tennis instructor. Get paid to do what you love.
5. If you go the retail route, please pick either LS Ayres or Lazaurs. (I want to use your discount)
6. Voice-over talent. Think books-on-tape or voice-over talent.
7. Re-think your goal. Ok, this may not be what you want to hear, but maybe try cutting back expenses instead. For example, I try to borrow DVD's from friends or get them from the library instead of buying them the day they come out. I dropped HBO and Showtime. I changed to just a basic phone service for home, and a smaller "package" for my cell phone. Sure, I splurge at the mall, but that's more important to me than rewatching Harry Potter for the 78th time on HBO.
Mikal, don't do retail. I know everybody else has already said it, but it needs to be said once more. Here are a couple of my thoughts.
1. Tutor - The people who tutor at my school are making good money. The going rate is at least $30/hour. Many of the tutors work with the students at local libraries which makes it easier.
2. Lifestyle strategy - With your experience with this group maybe you could work with some people on a fitness regime. They were discussing at our last meeting how nice it would be to have that feature added.
3. Web Design - but then there you have the sitting around again.
4. Computer classes - There are a lot of adults out there that know nothing. Check out J. Everett Light or other facilities and see if there are some courses you could teach. How about how to become a writer?
Just some thoughts.
Here are a few ideas:
1. Be a consultant! Bill $50 per hour, work 7 hours per month, and chill. Here are some possible topics: Writing, editing, publishing, blogging, outdoor education, risk management, etc. Ex. I just got paid approximately $3000 for about 60 hours of work to help a new outdoor business write their risk management plan.
2. Become an advisor to the Master of Arts Program. The pay is not great (approx. $900 per student per semester), but if you got 3 students, you would be golden and it is right up your ally if you advise Adventure Ed grad students. And you love editing!
3. Freelance writer. Come on, you are a natural and I hear you have some connections in the publishing world;) Research and write a few articles a month and you're set.
4. Write your own "For Dummies" book. Is there already a Blogging for Dummies book?
5. I just got paid $50 per hour to mentor one of my former students who was heading off track. You love kids and would be a great mentor. Team up with a school or an educational consultant and you could get set up with a student.
6. TEACH! We need more teachers, especially bright and intelligent ones like you. You can put a course syllabus together and approach a college, university, or community college (try the extended studies department) and teach an evening class a few hours a week. You would rock at this! Ex. I teach a few courses through Western State College and get paid approximately $50 per student per credit hour.
What about being an escort? Everyone has suggested doing something you are well versed in. You have the looks, the body, and I hear you gots the skilz.
All you need now is some bling and a tan, and you can make some crazy money!!! :)
sorry mrs. b.
Mikal, simple solution....... be the next "Fred Garven- Male Prostitute"
Mikal, I once did a stint in an office products supply warehouse 3 or 4 days a week, while working exactly 40 hours a week at UH. The hours were a little long and I often got home later than I expected and tired. I think I was making 11 or 12 bucks an hour. I think I survived about 6 months like that. Thinking back, it sucked.:) Want to be in the watch business? Another thought, I restored an old house over the course of 2.5 years while holding down an insurance adjusting job. One upside was it was very physical and, physically, I came out in great shape, financially as well. Downside: I had a pretty minimal social life. One other tip for any financial situation, I would listen to Dave Ramsey, the debt free prophet. Google him if you don't know about him.
Post a Comment:
|
