CAREERS NOW 05-22-11

Making Part-Time Job Work For You

DEAR JOYCE: I am a mom who worked during the recent census and now need another job. Rather than short-term full-time work, I now seek ongoing part-time employment. Quick help? - L.D.

Good reads. Check out two informative articles at SnagAJob.com: "Eight Part-time Jobs You Can Get with (Almost) No Experience," and "Picking a Part-time Job that Fits Your Life."

Key points in the "no-experience" article:

- Look for part-time job descriptions that emphasize personality traits (who you are), rather than experience. Movie theater staff must be friendly outgoing and able to work in a fast-paced environment. Merchandising and inventory jobs need people who are flexible, self-motivated and have a strong work ethic. Senior care jobs are for people who are compassionate, reliable and can work one-on-one with clients.

Key points in the "job-fit" article:

- Show how you're the right choice by doing an inventory of your skills, capabilities and interests. What strengths, capabilities can you bring to the job? How can you prove your claims? Research part-time jobs for fit and don't feel pressured to take one you don't want.

Leisure and hospitality jobs. A new USA Today/Gallup poll reports 61 percent of Americans think taking a vacation is important. A TripAdvisor poll says that 86 percent of Americans plan on taking a vacation this year. But with average gas prices lingering at the $4-a-gallon level, many vacationers will vacation close to home, choosing "staycations."

These findings suggest you might want to investigate part-time jobs in the leisure and hospitality industries. Examples include: bartender, waitperson, taxi driver, security guard, tour guide, parking attendant, restaurant cashier, hotel desk clerk, sports-park worker and museum worker.

Find more ideas for part-time jobs in the leisure and hospitality cluster by searching the Occupational Outlook Handbook (bls.gov/oco. Scroll down the left sidebar and click on Career Guide to Industries. On the next page, scroll down the left side to Leisure and Hospitality.)

Mobile Job Search. Mobile job search for a part-time job is a new twist to try once you bone up on the technique. You can, for example, use a smartphone app to see which stores are currently hiring in a specific shopping center. Google "mobile job search 2011." Another info source is: "Going Mobile: Resumes on Smartphones and Tablets" in the 6th Edition of my book, "Resumes For Dummies."

Idea bowl. One way of approaching the part-time job chase is to divide jobs into those that already exist and for which you apply, those that you talk an employer into creating and those in which you hire yourself.

Uncover existing part-time jobs by reading online job boards and newspaper help-wanted ads (part-time may be mixed among full-time) and by direct application to nearby offices and stores. And tweeting your Twitter network for job leads is a good move.

The application. Applying for a part-time job is a little different from applying for a fulltime professional position, Alison Doyle says. Doyle is the jobsearch guide for About.com. Browse for "'Job Application Guide' by Alison Doyle," to glean the specifics of applying for jobs in person, online and by email.

DEAR JOYCE: My son is a born engineer but he doesn't know it and I can't persuade him to look into it. What if I arrange for him to "shadow" several engineers through typical days? - C.A.

Great idea but try to arrange for your son to quietly observe a day "in the field" rather than a day of solitude when the engineer is studying.

Additionally, connect him with the website Egfi, which means Engineering: Go For It (egfi-k12.org). The site, sponsored by the American Society for Engineering Education, features video profiles of young people in engineering which could open some eyes.

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