Four Ideas For Professionals Looking To Work Part-Time

Today’s question is about working part-time. If you’d like to see your question answered in a future issue, post a Comment or send me a message!

I am searching for part-time work in the field of retirement plan/employee benefits plan administration, which is what I have been doing for the past 30+ years…I am in the middle:? I only want to work part-time but not ready to completely stop working and I feel I have a lot to offer. – Cate

Decades of professional experience in an area that many companies need is a desirable background to have in today’s volatile job market ?With reports of recession potentially imminent, companies may be nervous to invest in a full-time headcount, but they may still need the help. The trick is that part-time positions may not be advertised.

It’s expensive and time-consuming to launch a search or hire a recruiter, so the broadly published openings will likely be full-time. However, it doesn’t mean that companies who need what you do won’t consider a part-time arrangement (or location independent or other workplace arrangement), if you can get in front of them with a compelling value proposition. Here are four ideas for finding part-time professional opportunities:

1 - Look at full-time jobs and negotiate for flexibility

One of the simplest routes to identifying employers open to part-time work is to look at advertised openings – including full-time openings – and negotiate for flexibility of location and schedule such that you match the job to your targeted part-time goals. FlexJobs is one source for positions that have built-in flexibility. You’ll need to do thorough enough due diligence into the responsibilities of the role to ensure you can complete what’s required and still maintain your desired work/life goals.

2 - Look at full-time jobs that can be scaled back

A job might be initially set up as a full-time role based on the large scope of responsibilities. However, there might be multiple discreet tasks within the overall role that can be distributed among multiple roles. Maybe you can carve out just a few of these and make the current job into a discreet part-time role. Other responsibilities could be moved into other existing roles, to an opening for another part-timer or handled via an automated system. If you have the decades of experience Cate has, you would know what aspects of a job require the nuance and hands-on insight of a seasoned professional and what might be delegated to other resources. The benefit to the employer is that dividing the role might enable them to afford a more experienced hire where it counts, while providing new opportunity for a junior person or a chance to increase automation – a one-time investment that pays year-after-year.

3 -- Propose a job share with another part-timer

If you’re experienced in your field, you probably have a wide network of colleagues at different levels and with different specialties, and you might have another person in mind who can share a role with you. Review your connections for independent consultants who might be open to a long-term, ongoing client. Working parents who want to reduce their hours but not realize it’s possible are another source of part-time collaborators. If you do identify another aspiring part-timer, share job search efforts, and divide the universe of potential employers, pitching yourself as a dream team.

4 -- Position yourself as a consultant

Consulting is not the same as part-time work. This reader’s question is about a part-time job on the payroll of one employer for the long-term. But how long-term are any jobs these days? To ensure ongoing job security, every professional, whether “permanent” or temporary, needs to nurture their external network and keep their ears open for opportunities. This makes the everyday employee who is managing career risk properly not so different than a consultant. As a consultant, you can propose only part-time arrangements. Or you can subcontract under established consulting firms who take care of the business development, project scoping and billing. Inspire Human Resources is one example of a consulting firm in the HR field.

Focus on identifying relevant employers, not necessarily open jobs

Whether you decide to build a consulting practice or look for that one in-house job, look for employers in your area who need your skills, expertise and level of experience. Given that not all roles or consulting projects are widely advertised, you can uncover these hidden opportunities by listing all employers of the size and in the industries that interest you, and then research what your target employers need. Make connections so you understand who works on what – and who makes hiring decisions in your area. Pitch a consulting project or part-time role, when you see a need, even if it’s not an official position.

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is a Senior Contributor to Forbes Leadership and the founder of the Dream Career Club, helping experienced professionals find work they love and earn more doing it.