How to Get a Part Time Job in VA
Working moms, students, retirees and many other individuals have been taking on part time jobs for many years. Nowadays, part time jobs in Virginia 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 income, are making a career transition or prefer a job that won't ask you to work a full week, a part time job is probably what you're looking for.
Popular Part Time Jobs in Virginia
Service industry – The service industry provides a lot of part time opportunities. Bars and restaurants have a wide range of positions and several shifts each day which lends well to those needing to pick up extra work.
Creative work – Many businesses must have creative work done, but very few require it on a regular basis. That's why creative jobs including 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 do have a full-time job already, a retail job might be a good choice since many are open 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 Personnel
- 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 Virginia that did not make the list.
Finding Part Time Jobs in Virginia
Virginia 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 times of day you can work and the number of hours per week you want 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 visit your guidance counselor to go over part time job options. College students should have an entire office focused on helping them find part time work during the school year, summer and after graduating.
Local newspapers – Local newspapers are still a good resource for locating work in Virginia. Many papers will even separate part time jobs into their own section.
Internet – The web, of course, is the main resource used to find jobs today. In fact, in the event 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 thousands of part time jobs in Virginia and all over the country.