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College educated stay-at-home mom is looking for part-time income
Finding Part Time Work
Finding Part Time Work
I have been having the hardest time finding a part-time job. I am a college educated stay-at-home mom, but I can't even get hired at a national toy store! Granted, I can only work when my husband is home, which means after 6pm Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday. But, I have experience in retail. Any suggestions on how I can earn some extra cash or what companies or types of companies might hire me? It doesn't necessarily need to be a retail job.
Nichole in Saint Clair Shores, MI
Banquet Servers Needed
My husband and I have found the perfect part time job. It is flexible and pays well. We are banquet servers for the catering company at our city's convention center. We set up, serve, buss after the meals, and tear down the job at the end of the event. We simply went to the little catering office at the convention center and submitted an application. Quarterly, we give them our availability and only work a few days a month. We are paid minimum wage plus a percentage of the job as a gratuity. We always bring home (after taxes and union fees) at least $20/hr.
Jenny
Part Time Work Outside the Box
I was thinking of the stay-at-home mom who wants to find work after the working hours of her husband. Well, she may regret not spending that time with her husband. So, I had a few ideas that may keep her home with her kids and still make money.
- In my area there is a lady with a baby in a stroller who comes by to walk my dog early in the morning. I am sick right now and can't walk that far, but the dog is still in need. So I pay her $20 a week to do this for 20 minutes every morning. She gets the exercise and $20 too. If this lady has three other customers like me, she could pull in $80 worth of grocery cash and never need to go to the gym.
- The stay-at-home mom can find other moms who need a break and take in an extra child for one day or more a week for pay. Other stay-at-home mothers need to shop, see the doctor, work part time, or perhaps have emergencies, and could use a sitter. One day a week to have your house to yourself can mean all the laundry gets done, the house gets clean, and her hair/nails get done. I'm sure she can find a few moms who would pay her good money to get a day off like that.
- I have girlfriends who housesit for others for $150 or more. All they do is check on the house, pick up mail and newspapers, empty the answering machine, and answer questions if the alarm company calls. And they have their children with them while they work.
- One of my girlfriends needed just a few bucks to get by. When her husband has the kids on the weekend, she goes to make the pizza for a chain store. Weekends are very busy at pizza places and teens don't always want to work Saturday night. This doesn't get her any medical benefits, but for one or two days a week of work, she can earn enough to buy groceries.
- Craft stores are in need of late shift workers during the holiday season. They have so many more customers during the season, and the stock flies off the shelf, needing replenishing. The 6pm-10pm shift is great for restocking shelves while the store is still open, or teaching a craft or hobby class in store to increase sales of craft products. If you are good at any special craft, they may keep you teaching an evening class all year.
- Daycare centers do not take the children who are sick or have a cold/flu. So for the stay-at-home mom whose own children are off at school, she can take in a sick child who needs daycare for a short time while they recover. She can charge more than the daycare since she has to clean up germs or vomit from her own house before her own kids get home. If she registered with enough daycare centers for this emergency service, she could get referrals.
- If you can go thrift shopping with your children during the day, hit garage sales on weekends, and pick up great brand name items for really cheap. You can spend an hour in the evening placing the items for auction on eBay. eBay is a money making tool if you know what items folks are buying and you can get them for cheap and sell them for more. This takes time to build up a paycheck, but it keeps you home when husband is home.
Visit 24-Hour Stores
I train pharmacy technicians for Walgreens, and speaking personally, I wish you lived near me! We are always looking for people who want to work nights and weekends. After all, that's when our customers come. I recommend you put in your application online, and then go down to your local Walgreens and ask to speak with the store manager and/or pharmacy manager. Introduce yourself to them and tell them that you are looking for a part time position for nights and weekends. Let them know you have already put in your application online. I strongly recommend visiting a 24-hour store because they have more positions available. I would be very surprised if you didn't end up with a position if you followed this advice.
B
What Are You Good At?
If you're so inclined, how about marketing yourself in tasks you can do at home and you are good at? You can proofread papers for students, tutor students of all ages, do editing for writers, take in sewing, do catering, fix healthy meals for working families, etc. If you're administratively inclined, there are Internet companies that place "virtual assistants." Do some research. Find something you like doing and then find the people who could use your services. The possibilities are endless. Plus, you can work from your home, you're your own boss, and you have a flexible schedule.
Cheryl
Closing Fast Food Joints
Have you tried fast food? I work for a fast food restaurant with a drive-thru that stays open until 2 or 3 a.m. We need adults who can "close" because teens are not allowed to work after 10 p.m. on school nights. I, too, am college educated and was a stay-at-home mom for 13 years. I asked for the job and told them up front that I am college educated, but that I needed a job and that I was willing to work hard. I work full time, but we also have many part-time people.
Connie
Consider Call Centers
Try call centers in your area. Many are open seven days a week, 24 hours a day and offer seasonal and part-time employment. Catalog call centers typically hire seasonal and part-time help this time of year. Also consider call centers that have a work-at-home program where you can take calls from a home office.
Denise D.
Provide a Tutoring Service
I tutor after work and earn between $17 and $25 an hour, depending on the company and if the client has a disability. It's a great job for somebody who can work Saturdays and Sundays. To get started, I contacted several No Child Left Behind tutoring providers. I got the sheet from a school who failed to make the benchmarks.
Denise
Look into Opportunities at the Library
Check with local public libraries. They usually have part-time jobs called pages or shelvers that have flexible schedules. The library I work in has both students and adults working these jobs. With students, there is usually a lot of turnover as they graduate and move away to college. If there is a college or university library near by, try those also.
Elizabeth
It's Fun to Work at the YMCA
Like you, I was a stay-at-home mom with a college degree and needed flexible hours. I ended up working at my local YMCA. They have many types of jobs with many different schedules. I chose to work in the childcare area and was able to take my children with me and earn some extra money. I was fortunate when an event coordinator position became available. I was offered that job and not only had a very flexible schedule, but I even used my public relations degree. Another benefit to working for the Y is the free membership. If there is an Y in your area, I highly recommend seeing what is available.
Johnna in Wake Forest, NC
Clean Office Buildings
Two of my friends have found very flexible part-time. They were hired on by a local janitorial service. They were assigned a building and need to have the cleaning done sometime between 6pm and 6am. It is flexible and they can go in whenever they have time.
Kristy
Apply to Board of Education
I was a stay-at-home mom for nine years. Now my kids are 12 and 10, and I wanted to find something that would still be flexible with their activities and school functions. I was out of the work force for a long time and it seemed like I would never find anything. So I applied with our local Board of Education as a substitute. I was just hired as a Substitute Cook and Substitute Custodian. And when they have another training class for the Aide position, I will be taking it also. You can work as little or as much as you want. And it is perfect with the kids. I don't have to worry about days that they don't have school, and I don't have to go if there are other things that I need to do.
Liz H. in WV
Consider Being a Home Companion
If this reader likes to be helpful and provide for senior needs, I suggest a Home Companion agency for a fulfilling part time job. I work as a recruiter for one of these agencies and there is always a need for good help. The hours can usually be arranged around your hours, and since most offer 24/7 care, that is a plus for anyone with a "sitter" issue. Generally, there is some light housekeeping, reminders for medications, transportation to do shopping or simply to make sure the senior is safe and keep loneliness at bay. Some require a meal to be prepared and enjoy having company while they dine.
Rita
Can You Type?
Weekend and night hours on a part-time basis are perfect for the at-home medical transcriptionist. If you are college educated and can type and use a word processor, you can make very good money. I used to be a paralegal, but I wanted to work at home, so I found a medical transcription job and have been doing it for two years now. I make slightly more than as a paralegal and work 40 hours a week. I also have paid time off, full medical, dental, and vision, and a 401(k). Plus, I often work in my pajamas! The company I work for provided me with a great computer, tech support, a medical dictionary and drug lookup software, as well as software that expands abbreviations to reduce the amount of typing I do. There is a great website at www.mtjobs.com that has job listings for medical transcriptionists all over the country.
Shari
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