CAREERS NOW 04-30-08

Part-Time Night Jobs To Help Family Budget Woes

DEAR JOYCE: We're about to fall behind on our mortgage payments. I've got to get a second job fast. Where can I find part-time night jobs? - C.H.

Assuming you seek easy-entry work, such as cleaning offices, parking cars and manning hotel desks, you can ask around and be on the lookout for possible employers in your neighborhood, but focus your time investment on local jobs advertised by both print and online resources. Search terms: "part-time," "night," or "part-time night jobs." For finger-in-the-financial-dike jobs, use a generic resume; save your free hours to create customized resumes for better paying full-time employment.

Why focus on advertised jobs rather than on networking? Immediate availability. Employers advertise when they need help right now. Speed up your hunt by recruiting family members to scout. They've got skin in your job game too.

Two part-time national job sites are Monster Part-Time Jobs (monsterhourlyjobs.com) and SnagAJob.com.

One small caveat in your time of panic: A cliché 20-hour rule observes: "If you're there for 20 hours or more, then you're there for 40 hours." The implication is that you may become weary and distracted from your career goal, hurting performance on your day job.

Classic comedian Jack Benny's shtick was stinginess. His comic image reflected his loathing to part with a penny. Recalling a famous gag exchange with a robber holding a gun to Benny's head, the robber demands, "Your money or your life." Benny replies, "I'll have to think about that." You too.

DEAR JOYCE: I've sent out 25 letters and resumes for employment. My husband is also unemployed. I have yet to have anyone call me back. I'm so depressed I don't know what to do. How can I get HR people to contact me? - S.S.

Stop expecting call-backs to your pitch. Human resource departments are slimming down as they experience budget cuts like any so-called overhead department. Instead, become a follow-up queen: Keep reaching out until you're threatened with arrest for stalking.

End your initial letter with a declaration that you'll call at a specific time and then do it. If you butt heads with voicemail, which is likely, leave a message saying when you'll reach out again. Call every few days. Continue with this pattern until you connect with the live person you want to talk with. Make excuses for why a person isn't responding - "I know how busy you are so I'll take responsibility for trying to contact you." Think not of yourself as a pest, but as a person fulfilling a commitment you made - "I promise, I deliver."

Following up on a prospect is an art. Sales guides cover various techniques, and I suggest nuances in my book, "Resumes For Dummies, 5th Edition" (Wiley)

Another possibility: You are applying for jobs for which you are - or, at least, appear to hiring professionals - to be unqualified. Are you covering the right bases? Take a quick brush-up look in "Ten Steps to Find a New Job" on jobsearch.About.com.

DEAR JOYCE: Because of earlier misconceptions, I have made some poor choices in my employment. After taking a workshop on career development, I think I have a much better idea of my own style and personality. My concern is being informed about the culture and environment of companies where I interview. Help? -- M.R.

In addition to online-social-networking your way to employees, and checking on employee comment Web sites, such as Vault.com, you can ask during an interview: "Can you describe your company environment for me?" Although you're getting a single opinion, it may sketch a reasonably accurate picture of the culture and personality of the company and department where you would be working.

Remember, just because a company is honored on a "best places to work" list, environments are likely to vary among workplaces within the same company.

DEAR JOYCE: You answered a letter from a reader who wanted to know more about working with a recruiter to make a job change and recommended a directory of recruiters published by Kennedy Information. You neglected to mention another of the company's publications that zeros in on the subject: "Pocket Guide to Working with Executive Recruiters." I found it to be very helpful. - J.V.B.

You're right. The guide is filled with tips on using recruiters to stretch your career prospects. Find it and related materials on the following site: kennedyinfo.com/executive/career.

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