CAREERS NOW 03-12-08

When You Want Benefits with Part-Time Work

DEAR JOYCE: I must care for both my child and ill father. How can I find a part-time job that pays benefits? - R.E.

Although easier than it was a decade ago, finding part-time work that includes employee benefits remains a challenge. As a quick solution, contact staffing agencies to check their benefits policies for temp and contract workers. Use the search alerts feature on job boards, including "part time" and "employee benefits" as criteria. And check out major retailers, banks, universities and hospitals for part-time-with-benefits opportunities.

Among companies to consider: Starbucks, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, IKEA, REI, Barns & Noble, Nordstrom, Lowe's, Lands' End, JC Penny and Cost Plus World Market.

Additionally, if a specific company is geographically convenient to you, visit its Web site's careers section to see if part-time work with healthcare and retirement benefits is offered.

DEAR JOYCE: My jobless daughter-in-law has worked for only one employer all her career so she's not very experienced in finding employment. I suggested that she write thank-you letters after each interview but she says that's a waste of time. Can you convince her that manners still count? - Y.C.

Manners do matter in every endeavor. But writing post-interview thank-you letters is marketing, not manners. Think of a post-interview thank-you communication as a bookend to the cover letter sent with a resume that launched the interview: a friendly but targeted sales pitch matching your qualifications with the position's requirements. The letter is a chance to add information missing, or to correct information flubbed, in the interview. For additional facets of the issue, visit my Web site (sunfeatures.com) and use the search engine to find a previous column, "Going for the Win with Interview Thanks Letter."

Another previous column, "Make References the Aces up Your Sleeve" explains how to transform thank-you letters to people who supply your references into a potent sales tool.

DEAR JOYCE: What is the name of the government agency that provides free counseling to people looking to start a small business? - Z. L.M.

SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" (score.org) is a valuable service to those who want to start or improve a small business venture. You can call 800-634-0245 for the SCORE chapter nearest you.

The service offers free online and face-to-face counseling through volunteer business counselors Readers occasionally tell me they lack confidence in the volunteer counselor assigned to them; the answer's simple -- ask for a replacement.

Additionally, SCORE provides free eNewsletters and low-cost business workshops, as well as new offerings for minority entrepreneurs and non-English speakers.

Find the new content area for minority entrepreneurs at score.org/minority.html. Spanish-language materials are available at score.org/Hispanic.html and score.org/guides.html.

DEAR JOYCE: I was fired for what the company said was "performance reasons." I had been planning a two-weeks vacation to Costa Rica before this happened. My wife thinks we should cancel the trip but non-refundable costs are involved. What difference will two weeks make in my job hunt? - C.R.

Probably not much. In fact, the trip may help you decompress and get over the shock of being terminated.

Use your time off to reflect on your future, which may be different than your past. Greg Gostanian, a managing partner of Boston-based ClearRock, an outplacement and executive coaching firm, says it's a mistake to rush to a new job in cases like yours: "Consider not only what you can do for a living, but what you want to do as well. If performance-related reasons for your being released were a factor, you may need to update your skills, change your attitude or try to transfer your experience to a career for which you are better suited."

To that I add, reflect fast! When you return from vacation, get your action plan in gear. Weeks turn into months and even years. Dragging your feet merely adds another obstacle in the eyes of future employers: long-term joblessness added to involuntary termination. Yes, you can strategically explain two obstacles but you may not be able to overcome a suspicion that you're damaged goods.

Moreover, if you decide to change careers and don't seal the break with documental new education, you add a third obstacle -- having no direct experience. As Gostanian advises, be honest with yourself. But don't loiter.

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