The fact that we have to work for a living is a given, but how we do that is totally up to us. While most of us would search for a full time job, not everybody will want to be tied to a job that requires a full 8 hours. This is why there has been a rising interest in part time jobs. In the past, a part time job was one that you did on the side, for instance, while you went to college or if you need to supplement your income from your full time job. It was part time in the sense that it was of a temporary nature. But that has changed nowadays.
What Are Modern Part Time Jobs?
In today’s economy, a part time job is any job in which you work half of what the standard working week is at that particular organization. So, where some people will work 40 hours per week, those who work part time will do their tasks in 20 hours or less. The part time nature of the role, therefore, is on the actual time spent in work, not in the time someone intends to remain in that position.
Why Get a Part Time Job?
There are many different reasons as to why someone may seek part time work. Overall, it is because most people want to work. They want to feel that they are a part of the community and they want to contribute to society but there are reasons why they are unable to work full time. Sometimes, it is simply because they don’t need to work more than that, but that is rare. Some of the common reasons are:
1. Being in college and needing income to make ends meet, or to gain experience and network contacts in the industry
2. Having to look after children outside of school hours
3. Looking after an elderly relative or someone who is ill or infirm
4. Having to work around the family’s main breadwinner
5. Only wanting to work seasonally
There are many good reasons as to why someone may not want to work full time. They may, for instance, not be able to be outside of the house between certain times because their children are in the house, or some other similar situation. Others may have a husband who works shifts, meaning they have to work around that, while at the same time having enough time to spend with each other.
Once upon a time, part time jobs were mostly lowly jobs. It was for people who didn’t really have an interest in getting to work and building a career. Today, it is very different. It is very common, for instance, for women who work full time to request a shift to part time hours after they have given birth. This is because they want to be able to spend time with their new family, but at the same time not lose their entire identity. Often, this starts with dropping a few hours of work, although this can grow into having several days a week off, leading to it being part time again.
