Hi all, I'm looking for a job that I can do when I have extra time. Right now I work as a mail carrier, but I only work when the post office needs me, so it can be either 1 to 5 days a week. I'd like to find a job that works around this sort of irregular schedule.
So far I've found things like telemarketing (YUCK!), but I'd rather just not work than do something like that. Same with insurance sales.
Are there any positions, like say, data entry, that one could do just when they have extra time, at their own leisure?
thanks for any input!
Finding a "work when you want" job?
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George the original one
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"Work when you want" tend to be sales-oriented jobs or day-laborer. You can have a production piece, but the end product still has to be sold.
In the Willamette Valley, picking berries used to be that job, but even in the golden days, it was a limited season.
You really have to look at this from the employer's perspective... they're not going to pay unless the job is getting done when THEY want it done. Therefore the most likely position is one you create for yourself.
In the Willamette Valley, picking berries used to be that job, but even in the golden days, it was a limited season.
You really have to look at this from the employer's perspective... they're not going to pay unless the job is getting done when THEY want it done. Therefore the most likely position is one you create for yourself.
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Fred Tracy
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Hmm yeah, I have actually thought about day-laboring.
And writing/editing is another good idea, but I can't seem to find any work. I've got an elance.com account, and even when I bid the very lowest on something, they don't seem to be interested. I even have a website showcasing all my work, which definitely isn't horrible.
I think I may try some freelance writing or something again. Any more ideas?
And writing/editing is another good idea, but I can't seem to find any work. I've got an elance.com account, and even when I bid the very lowest on something, they don't seem to be interested. I even have a website showcasing all my work, which definitely isn't horrible.
I think I may try some freelance writing or something again. Any more ideas?
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Obadobadope
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Not sure about your living situation, but if you have your own workspace you could make and sell things. For example, build furniture and sell it. Buy used cars and fix them up. Lower capital alternative, buy used bikes and fix them up (fix up a lot, then hold a bike sale). There was a bike guy back in my hometown that did this.
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Fred Tracy
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I wish I could do temp agency stuff, but my main job requires me to be available pretty much full time during the day.. maybe if the agency had night jobs?
I like the ebay/craigslist idea tho. I already sell a lot on ebay, though I've never actually bought stuff just to sell on ebay. I do lie the idea of fixing things up then reselling them. That's not bad at all.
I still wish there was an ideal situation for this though, i.e., calling up your employer and saying hey I can work today, and going in.
A friend has that arrangement with his buddy who owns rent houses. He just fixes them up in his spare time. I haven't found such an opportunity though. ;(
I like the ebay/craigslist idea tho. I already sell a lot on ebay, though I've never actually bought stuff just to sell on ebay. I do lie the idea of fixing things up then reselling them. That's not bad at all.
I still wish there was an ideal situation for this though, i.e., calling up your employer and saying hey I can work today, and going in.
A friend has that arrangement with his buddy who owns rent houses. He just fixes them up in his spare time. I haven't found such an opportunity though. ;(
If I couldn't get the post office to committ to a fixed schedule, I'd be looking to replace that gig, not trying to find something that fits around it. What's so great about their job?
To get decent money working on your schedule, you need a skill that seperates you from everyone else that wants to work from home whenever they want. Some examples:
I worked as a personal trainer for about a year. There were fee based appointments where I had to show on, but I worked with the client to set the schedule. We'd also do a nutritional analysis, where someone would drop off their diet log. I'd input it into the computer and prepare a report for their consultation. The report prep could be done on my own time, but the pay was not great because all I needed was a basic understanding of software and nutrition.
More recently, I had a publishing company approach me to proofread a prep book for a professional certification I hold. The rate was $1200 for about 25 hours of work. If I was unemployed, I would have been all over that. While employed full time, though, I know my limited free time is worth more than that. I suppose if there was certainty of a prolonged period of consistent work, my perspective might change, but only because I'd plan on paying somebody else less per hour to take care of my low-skill time obligations.
Actually, most publishers need accuracy checkers for their textbooks. The work is book to book and flexible, but you need credentials in the field. Knowing someone who can kick books your way helps too.
I have done software quality assurance work on contract, on my schedule, as well. At first blush, it seemed to pay enough to be worth my time, even while holding down a salaried position. The key to getting it was having a pre-existing relationship with people at the company. After a year or so though, I learned all that extra work just makes me miserable, no matter what it pays.
If all you can do is lift stuff or type, it's going to be hard to do well with part time contract work. If that's where you are at, when you take non-contract work, do things that develop a skill that will differentiate you in the market long term.
Lastly, never compete solely on price. It's a race to the bottom, where everyone involved in doing the work or consuming the end product loses.
To get decent money working on your schedule, you need a skill that seperates you from everyone else that wants to work from home whenever they want. Some examples:
I worked as a personal trainer for about a year. There were fee based appointments where I had to show on, but I worked with the client to set the schedule. We'd also do a nutritional analysis, where someone would drop off their diet log. I'd input it into the computer and prepare a report for their consultation. The report prep could be done on my own time, but the pay was not great because all I needed was a basic understanding of software and nutrition.
More recently, I had a publishing company approach me to proofread a prep book for a professional certification I hold. The rate was $1200 for about 25 hours of work. If I was unemployed, I would have been all over that. While employed full time, though, I know my limited free time is worth more than that. I suppose if there was certainty of a prolonged period of consistent work, my perspective might change, but only because I'd plan on paying somebody else less per hour to take care of my low-skill time obligations.
Actually, most publishers need accuracy checkers for their textbooks. The work is book to book and flexible, but you need credentials in the field. Knowing someone who can kick books your way helps too.
I have done software quality assurance work on contract, on my schedule, as well. At first blush, it seemed to pay enough to be worth my time, even while holding down a salaried position. The key to getting it was having a pre-existing relationship with people at the company. After a year or so though, I learned all that extra work just makes me miserable, no matter what it pays.
If all you can do is lift stuff or type, it's going to be hard to do well with part time contract work. If that's where you are at, when you take non-contract work, do things that develop a skill that will differentiate you in the market long term.
Lastly, never compete solely on price. It's a race to the bottom, where everyone involved in doing the work or consuming the end product loses.