Perhaps you are studying or haven’t yet found a full-time job? What can you do to bring in some income and gain experience to add to your CV in the meantime? How about working part-time? Part-time could mean working some hours in the evening, mornings only or even just a few hours in a week.

Many industries offer part-time positions. Some of the more common ones are in retail (selling merchandise to customers), customer service, and hospitality. Each of the different industries require different skillsets and pay different wages but some of these do have entry-level jobs. Depending on both your hard skills (qualifications and experience) and your soft skills (people or team work skills, leadership skills etc.) you can work out what would be suitable for you.

How to find part-time work:

• Find a website that offers part-time positions. Gumtree and SimplyHired have a fair selection, but there are also innovative new sites becoming available such as Bountly which is currently Cape Town based. (Check though that these are reputable jobs – don’t be scammed! Read more about job scams: https://live.fundza.mobi/home/library/fiction-blogs/how-to/how-to-identify-job-scams/)

• Network with all the people that you know. Tell them that you are available for part-time work.

•Volunteer on a part-time basis for an organisation or business and impress them with your work ethic!

•Think about bringing work to you. This might mean working from home or from an internet café. Do freelance work – often computer based work – that brings in an income.

• Start your own thing part-time. Perhaps you want to start writing a blog or create a vlog (video blog) about the world you live in, or the interesting food you eat (food blogs are probably the most popular in the world!). You won’t make an income straight away with this but you never know where it could lead you!

• Apply for a temp position. This is a very short term job but if you work hard at it, it may become a more permanent part-time or even full-time job.

• Go onto an organisation’s website and see if they have any temp or part-time jobs available. Target a specific industry about which you feel skilled or passionate, research it and then apply directly to the organisation.

• Take time to walk around town or at malls and see who’s hiring. Sometimes, businesses have signs up outside saying that they are looking for part-time staff. It’s even possible to walk down a street of restaurants, for example, and hand in your CV, even if a sign isn’t posted outside. This way you canvas an area and perhaps something will be available.

Tips on how to land a part-time job:
• Be very clear about the times you are available to work part-time. Some part-time work requires shift work or weekend work so you need to be clear about what you are prepared to accept and then only apply for the jobs when you are available.

• At the interview make sure that you demonstrate that you are happy to work the hours that are required. Don’t say that you are available to work certain hours and then change your mind.

• Even though this is a part-time job show that you are committed to it. Be enthusiastic. There is often a high turnover in part-time jobs and employers will really appreciate someone who shows that they really want to work there for an extended period of time.

• Remember that applying for a part-time job is very similar to applying for a full-time job. You need to do all the things that you would for a full-time job. A quality CV, a professional interview where you dress appropriately, arrive on time and are prepared to answer interview questions are all elements that require the same level of effort as a full-time position.

Here are some part-time job ideas:
• Call centre agents
This is often commission based and can be repetitive work but it is one of the easier part-time positions to find.

• Waitrons
There is a very lively waitron market where you will often get on-the-job training. It does require weekend and late evening work and, sadly, some restaurants still only pay their staff ‘tips’.

• Receptionist / Front of house
This is someone who greets people as they come in to an office, answers the phone and does some administrative work. A Front of house assistant is similar as she invites people in to a restaurant or a similar type of establishment and assists with a number of other administrative tasks.

• Sales representatives
Sales representatives sell products to customers. There are usually quite a number of these jobs available over the festive season and it is a great idea to get some work experience at that time.

• Extras in film or television. These jobs are advertised quite regularly and don’t require much in the way of acting. You’ll be in a crowd scene or walking passed a camera and you’ll get paid to do it!

• Blogger / vlogger. I’ve already mentioned this, but if you’re good at communicating see what is available for you in this sphere.

• Brand ambassador. This is someone who promotes a company’s brand by promoting products and services in-store and work with an organisation’s marketing team.

• Event server. Find a part-time position with an events company and help with various tasks at the events that are hosted by your organisation.

There are some really unusual jobs out there. In Japan people are hired to be train pushers. The trains are so crowded that people are hired to help cram as many people onto a train as possible by pushing them from the outside until the doors can close!
Remember that part-time work is a vital part of any economy. Finding part-time work will not only give you an income but you will become a vital part of the operation of the business you get involved in. Always prepare as much as you can for your application and interview and be innovative in the ways you search for this work.

Tell us: what other part-time jobs do you know of?