How to Get a Part Time Job in CA
Working moms, students, retirees and many other people have been taking on part time jobs for a long time. Today, part time jobs in California have become more prevalent as employers reduce work hours in order to lower overhead expenses in the wake of the great recession.
Whether you need extra cash, are making a career transition or prefer a job that doesn't expect you to work a full week, a part time job is probably what you're looking for.
Popular Part Time Jobs in California
Service industry – The service industry offers a lot of part time opportunities. Resaurants and bars have a multitude of positions and several shifts throughout the day which lends well to those needing to pick up extra work.
Creative work – Many businesses must have creative work done, but hardly any require it on a full time basis. That is why creative jobs such as logo design, video production and copywriting are normally contracted out. Though these are not long term, they are part time jobs that can oftentimes pay well.
Retail – Like the service industry, many retail stores have multiple shifts during the day. If you have a full-time job already, a retail job may well be a good choice since many are open for business later in the afternoon and evening.
In July 2010 Forbes used BLS data to compile a listing of 10 popular part time jobs which include:
- Accounting/Bookkeeping
- Customer Service
- Office Clerks
- Laborers
- Janitors
- Stock Clerks
- Retail Sales Workers
- Cashiers
- Waiters/Waitresses
- Food Prep/Serving Workers
Babysitting/Nanny services, dog walking and petting sitting and lawn care services are also popular part time jobs in California that didn't make the list.
Finding Part Time Jobs in California
California employment agencies – The main goal of an employment agency is to find you work. They place people in all sorts of jobs, including part time and temp work. Just let your case manager know the type of work you are looking for, the hours you can work and the number of hours per week you would like to work.
Guidance counselors and career offices – High school and college students can take advantage of services supplied by their schools to get help finding a part time job. If you are in high school see your guidance counselor to go over part time job options. College students should have an entire office specialized in helping them find part time work throughout the school year, summer and after graduating.
Local newspapers – Local newspapers remain a good resource for locating work in California. Many papers will even separate part time jobs into their own section.
Internet – The internet, of course, is the main resource used to find jobs today. In fact, if your local newspaper has a sister website it’s better to look online than in the paper. This way you get the most up-to-date information. Some job websites are more niche covering employment opportunities for a specific area or industry while others are very broad, with a huge number of part time jobs in California and all over the country.