<p>S1 is graduated and employed, S2 just started his masters program in EE. I wanted something exciting in my life too so I after 20 years of being at home, I went and got myself a part time retail job. This was fun for about 1 week. I think I simply selected the wrong type of store. It is at a high end women’s yoga/exercise clothing store and I love the product line, the other women I work with and chatting with the customers, but I HATE the part where I am pressured to sell, sell, sell. It makes me uncomfortable. </p>
<p>So where would you work if you decided to get a part time job just for fun or for some extra pocket money? (I also volunteer, but have heard it is a good idea to get some wage earning quarters in for social security)</p>
<p>My favorite part-time job ever was working as a librarian at a professor’s library at Caltech. He had an enormous collection of Africana and housed the library on campus for the use of his students. I shelved books, took care of newspaper clippings, advised kids who were writing papers, and cataloged new books. I’d worked in libraries in college and even had done some work at a USIS library in Tanzania, and I’d spent much of my childhood Africa so it was a pretty good fit even though I was really looking for an architecture job. (Which were not to be had in 1982.)</p>
<p>I have a very close relative who is a tv critic for a major media outlet - dude works crazy hard! - the tv watching is the easy part - in some ways - becomes tough to just “watch tv” - you must be a phenomenal writer and have a tough outer shell. </p>
<p>I think it’d be fun to work at Williams-Sonoma. Love browsing in that store! Wondering if anybody here has ever worked there. I’m told their discount is quite nice. Of course the down-side of working retail is the hours. It’s on my list of possibilities for a ‘retirement job’</p>
<p>How about a local, neighborhood coffee shop? Work in the early morning making drinks, baking muffins, wearing a cute apron and hobnobbing with the neighborhood, local people. Be off by 11am to enjoy the day?! (cause it’s PART-TIME right?!)</p>
<p>Actually, I almost have the ideal part-time job:</p>
<p>I work part-time for a global HR consulting firm, writing and editing benefits materials for our clients. I am very knowledgeable in the subject and a very good writer. I also get to work from home, which I absolutely love. The only downside: They only use me during their busy periods, for their overflow work, so the income is not steady. If I could get them to hire me for a minimum number of hours per week, my life would be complete.</p>
<p>I would love to run a preschool in my home, but H has vetoed it.</p>
<p>The problem with part time retail is that you are deemed to be available at any time in most stores and it may be very difficult to plan in advance, unless you get an owner who has loyal and dependable workers who always show up on time.</p>
<p>I’d also like to work at a bookstore, or a nursery( plants not babies).</p>
<p>I love running my nonprofit, which goes from full time to very part time, depending on needs. Many nonprofits have a lot of needs, if you have a skill set that matches. It can pay and be part time. </p>
<p>Have also enjoyed being a part time hearing officer and part time judge. </p>
<p>I teach Pilates. No one wants to exercise on the Holidays so you get those off. I meet lots of nice people. Downside - If I want clients I have to be available when it works for them -often in the evenings. Also - I get canceled on a lot. Pay looks good on paper -but in reality it isn’t that much when you count in how much time I spend planning my sessions , reviewing my manuals etc…
There are no benefits at the studio I work at. At times it is exhilarating -especially when someone “gets it” or has some kind of breakthrough. </p>
<p>Oh, I thought we were just “dreaming” and conjuring up our idea “part time” job - money and perks not being part of the dream picture. I was thinking of something totally different and aside from my current career - and NOT using those career skills at all!!! </p>
<p>Joanne’s Fabric or AC Moore. I would be like a kid in a candy store. If there was either within 10 miles of my house, I would have put an application in a few weeks ago. </p>
<p>I hear you. I walked away from corporate America 18 months ago and now am feeling a bit bored since summers over and my closets are cleaned out. The stuff that needs organizing belong to other family members and they don’t share my need to purge stuff. I’ve been hunting for consulting clients in my field with no success. It’s not foe the money, but the mental challenge. I’m on several nonprofit board, but they move at a snails pace to get anything done. </p>
<p>I still have one son at home, but he is a junior and the other is in college. I wanted something fun to do part time just to have some fun money to splurge with. I tried teaching for a test prep company (GRE Prep) thinking I’d love teaching. Sadly, I didn’t love teaching. And the times were really unfortunately with my schedule (all evenings and weekends when I have days free). And all the classes were like 45 minutes plus away. </p>
<p>So I took a job doing bookkeeping and some office management type work for a local small business. So far, I actually really love it. I work 10-15 hours per week, primarily from home and any hours I want. The two owners are super nice guys. I have only just started so maybe it will get old, but right now I’m finding it pretty easy, not stressful, and very compatible with my lifestyle.</p>
<p>I am actually thinking maybe I could do this for another company as well to get some more hours overall.</p>
<p>Obviously, this is not a dream job - - but it is a practical one that I think most college grads could do. I’m like you in that a job where I had to sell, sell, sell would totally stress me out. </p>
<p>I am currently applying for my ideal part time job as an administrator in a professional organization in the same sport that I’ve spent my whole career coaching in. Most of the work is virtual so I could do it while traveling. In addition, the non virtual part would involve attending events in my sport that would allow me to maintain relationships with long time friends/associates in the field. I know I’m a strong candidate, but trying not to get too invested in the job so as not to be absolutely crushed if I don’t get it.</p>
<p>I love AutoCAD and would be quite happy to do it part-time. I do that now, but I would like it to be more regular. So if I could say 20 hours each week, that would be ideal! But that’s not the real world, because when there’s a project deadline, I end up working way MORE hours.</p>
<p>I was lucky enough to find my dream part-time job when I decided to go back to work when our youngest was almost done with high school a few years ago. I found a job at a not-for-profit that provides caregiver education and support (for older adults). I love the people I work with, I love our clients, and love that I feel we are providing a valuable resource to our community. As a bonus, the office is 1 mile from my house, I job share so can play with my hours to go see my son play his sport or to help with my Mom as needed, and the job is extremely family friendly. This job is 180 degrees away from what I started out in years ago when I was working full time- engineering- and it has been a wonderful change. </p>
I was thinking of something totally different and aside from my current career - and NOT using those career skills at all!!! </p>