Part-time Gardening Jobs

A part-time college economics & finance instructor who began his career in banking, Chuck frequently writes on money & economics online.

There Are Many Opportunities Out There

A part-time job is generally considered to be one where a person works less than the standard 35–40 hour week and usually, but not always, does not get benefits.

A part-time job can be an extra job in addition to a person's regular work. It can also be used as a source of spending money or extra income for a high school or college student who is still supported by the parents, for a homemaker looking to bring in some additional income by working during the times the children are in school or a retiree looking for a way to keep active and augment a pension.

From an employer's perspective, part-time workers are a source of labor that can fill in odd time slots, help during peak production times, and generally augment the work force. Since part-time workers generally do not receive benefits, and the cost of providing benefits is increasing, it is often less expensive to hire part-time workers than full-time.

An additional reason for hiring part-time help is a a shortage of full-time help. Unemployment in some regions it is approaching zero which means that there isn't any pool from which to hire. In these cases employers are forced to target students, retired people, homemakers and others who would like some additional income but do not or cannot work full time.

As with full-time career positions, the more education and experience one has, the greater the options for part-time work. For practically any full-time job position there is probably a part-time counterpart. However, let's take a look at the more common part-time jobs that the average person can expect to find.

1. Retail Position

Examples: Cashier, Stocker, Sales Clerk

Retail establishments are open twelve to eighteen hours per day with many being open round the clock. Different times of the day are busier than others so it makes sense to use part-time people to augment the full-time people during these times especially when these times don't come in eight-hour blocks.

Business also fluctuates by season, time of week, and month. Grocery stores have more business on weekends than during the week. Stores in areas with large numbers of people receiving Social Security or welfare benefits will see more business at the beginning of the month when Social Security and welfare checks are mailed than during other parts of the month.

Because of these fluctuation in business traffic having part-time workers whose schedules can be changed weekly helps with scheduling to accommodate periods of fluctuating demand.

Retail offers many part-time job opportunities.

Photo Copyright © 2010 Chuck Nugent

2. Fast Food and Restaurant Industry Position

Examples: Cashiers, Waiter/Waitress, Busboy, Dishwasher, Frycook, etc.

Business for companies in this industry fluctuates according to time of day, day of week, and month. Restaurants are very busy during meal times but tend to be slow between meals so there is no need to be fully staffed all day.

Also, especially in the fast-food industry, people looking to work in these establishments generally want part-time work as they are going to school, care for children when school is out, or generally don't want full-time work. This makes this industry another good one for part-time work.

Fast food is another opportunity for part-time work. (McDonald's Restaurant in St. Petersurg, Russia

Photo Copyright © 2003 by Chuck Nugent All Rights Reserved

3. Bank Teller

Here again, there are certain times of the day and certain days of the week that are busier than other so staffing fluctuates.

Some banks and credit unions do hire full-time tellers and have them work a split shift say 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for early morning and lunch hour business. Then leave and return to work from say, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the after-work crowd. Many people don't like such a schedule, thereby making this type of work a logical candidate for part-time workers.

4. Car Washer

This is basically pure physical labor with no future in terms of a career. The hours are attractive for young people in high school or college looking to make some money but not work full-time.

5. College Work-Study Program

These are generally make-work type positions funded by the Federal Department of Education as a type of college financial aid.

The student has to qualify for financial aid but the criteria is more liberal than for Pell Grants (free money from the taxpayers) or Federally subsidized student loans.

The work hours are limited to 19.5 hours per week maximum and are scheduled to accommodate student's class schedules. Work varies but is usually light office work in college departments.

6. Temporary Staffing Work

These are companies who provide workers (usually office clerical work or labor positions) to companies on a short-term basis (anywhere from one day to several months). The companies need people to cover for workers who are on vacation or sick leave or to fill a vacant position until a permanent replacement can be found.

This is part-time work in the sense that the worker can usually specify times they are not available and can turn down assignments that don't fit their schedules. However, the workday itself is usually a normal 8 hour day.

7. Bookkeeper for Small Businesses

This is moving up the education/skill ladder somewhat and the job sometimes requires being in business for yourself.

The possibilities here are 1) to work part-time for an accounting firm keeping the books of small business clients; 2) be hired as a part-time employee of one or more small businesses to work a couple of days a month or so balancing their books; or, 3) start your own business as a freelance bookkeeper and limit the number of clients you take on to fit the part-time hours you want.

8. Substitute School Teacher

Licensing and education requirements for regular public school teachers tend to be very restrictive. However, for substitute teachers, one only needs a four-year college degree (in some states the requirement may only be a two-year degree).

Experience and continuing education are generally not required, although fingerprinting and a criminal background check are often mandatory (and can delay your being hired by as much as a semester).

Most school districts give teachers a set number of paid personal days to use as sick days or anything else which means that first, the schools will often call and schedule you two or three days in advance and, second, since the teachers usually have to take the days or lose them, there is a high demand for substitute teachers.

The workday is usually four to seven hours and the pay, depending upon the state and district, can be as high as $100 or more per day. You can also usually decline specific assignments without being penalized.

9. College Adjunct Faculty

These are part-time college or technical school positions involving the teaching of a course for the term.

For academic subjects, an advanced (Masters or Ph.D.) degree is usually required. For technical and vocational a degree programs a bachelor or lower degree may be required or the school may only require verifiable experience in the field being taught (usually five or more years).

These positions are usually for the current term with no guarantees for the next term (continued work usually depends upon enrollment in the course). With the increasing demand for online education, we can probably expect an increase in adjunct instructor positions.

Military Reserves and National Guard offer part-time opportunities (National Guard KC-97 Air tanker at the PIma Air and Space Museum, Tucson, AZ)

Photo Copyright © 2007 by Chuck Nugent

10 Military Reserves and National Guard

This can be a part-time job once you complete training, which is about 6 months or more full-time duty in your branch of service, unless you have previous military service in which case this is usually waived.

After training the duty is normally one evening a week or one weekend a month and two weeks of active duty sometime during the year. Of course, in time of war, your unit can be activated by the President and you will find yourself engaged full-time overseas.

Reserve and National Guard units can also be called to duty by the President for national emergencies (such as the current use of National Guard along the border to stem the tide of illegal immigration) or by the Governor for state emergencies (hurricanes, floods, and riots).

When called to active duty you receive regular pay and benefits according to your rank.

For part-time reserve duty (the one evening a week or one weekend a month and the two weeks per year active duty training) you generally receive pay and benefits according to your rank for the two-week duty and one day's pay according to rank for each four-hour block of reserve duty.

You also receive points toward a military pension.

Dog Cleanup: A part-time job created by the need to clean up after our dogs.

Photo Copyright © 2012 by Chuck Nugent

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Chuck Nugent (author) from Tucson, Arizona on December 12, 2019:

Mukesh Kumar Gupta - Thank you for visiting my Hub and commenting. Unfortunately the point of the Hub was a general discussion and ideas for types of part-time job opportunities especially in North America where I live and work. As far as locating jobs and referring people I don't work in that particular area.

Chuck Nugent (author) from Tucson, Arizona on May 02, 2019:

Muhammad Asim Azhar - Thank you for your comment. I'm glad you liked the article and hope it gave you some ideas for part-time work.

Muhammad Asim Azhar on May 02, 2019:

I like this article

Chuck Nugent (author) from Tucson, Arizona on October 11, 2018:

Leesa Johnson - thank you for visiting this Hub and for your comment.

While part-time work is not a substitute for full time career positions offering steady work, regular income and benefits, such work is ideal for students seeking some income while in school, a stay at home parent seeking to supplement their working spouse's income while children are in school, retirees seeking to supplement their Social Security and retirement savings, etc. While full time regular work is necessary for both employers needing a steady workforce and for heads of households supporting a family or people seeking an income necessary for a good middle or upper class lifestyle it does not meet all the needs of all individuals or all employers. Part-time and temporary work options fill this gap for both employers and individuals whose income and time needs are at odds with full time, steady work and income.

Thanks again for your comments.

Leesa Johnson on October 09, 2018:

Interesting article.

If you are studying or doing other work then a part-time job is the best option for you. You can earn and spend money on your own expenses. It shows your self-dependency.

Chuck Nugent (author) from Tucson, Arizona on October 05, 2018:

Devika - Thank you for your kind comment. I am glad you enjoyed my article and hope it was of help to you in you search for part-time job options.

Devika on October 05, 2018:

Hey

Interesting..!!!

Thank you for sharing such a informative blog about 10 types of part time job application.

very good article!!

Regards,

Mytrux

Chuck Nugent (author) from Tucson, Arizona on July 24, 2018:

Finn Liam Cooper - first of all thank you for visiting this Hub and for your comments.

Based upon your question "I wonder though if you have a list for older adults who already have a full time job" I presume that you currently have a full time job and would like to make some extra money on the side. If this is the case you situation is different from a person who is retired, a student or unemployed in that your regular job is taking 8 hours per day plus and additional half hour to an hour lunch break each day as well as commuting time which can add an additional hour or more per day traveling to and from work. So a good part of each week day is pretty much off limits for work outside of your regular job.

Here are some ideas to get you thinking about possible money making opportunities outside of your regular full time position:

1) Seek evening, weekend or, if your regular job is hours outside of the normal Mon to Fri 8:00 to 5:00 time frame, other times during the day, when you are free to work in retail, fast food, janitorial or other types of employers whose hours are outside your normal work hours.

2) If you have writing skills look into writing for sites like HubPages, start a blog with ads, publish books on sites like Amazon, Lulu, etc. Writing can be done in your spare time and quality writing (i.e. writing that people like) once published can continue to generate income long after being published.

3) Check out online sites like Amazon Mechanical Turk, Task Rabbit and similar sites offer a range of short, single freelance gigs that you can do in your spare time and get paid.

4) If you have artistic talent you can make and sell artwork, photography, crafts, etc on sites like Esty, Shutterstock, eBay, etc as well as renting a booth at various fairs and other events and selling from there.

5) We have a growing aging population that has money but needs help with things like yard work, minor home repairs, running errands, etc.

These are just a few things designed to give you ideas and possibilities as well as, hopefully, helping you to come up with other ideas for making extra money.

Good luck.

Fin from Barstow on July 13, 2018:

Some nice ideas here...and I wish I would have had this list about twenty years ago when I was a student.

I wonder though if you have a list for older adults who already have a full time job.

Right now in our time, I think the service industries are slowly dissipating because of the technology.

Good reading and well organized.

Angela Kane from Las Vegas, Nevada on July 08, 2013:

Many job seekers decided to look for part-time employment when the job outlook was worser to get hired. Great article and hub.

Chuck Nugent (author) from Tucson, Arizona on April 17, 2012:

MelindaJGH - thanks for the comment. I haven't done any substitute teaching in the last 15 years but the early morning phone calls for jobs was the main source of jobs in both Rochester, New York and later in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A decade or so later in Tucson, Arizona I was usually called early in the morning but I also sometimes get calls two or three days in advance as teachers were allowed to take time off for personal reasons and these were always scheduled in advance.

MelindaJGH on April 08, 2012:

Thanks for the interesting article on part-time employment.

I'd like to add information about substitute teaching. For the most part, substitute teachers need to be available for early-morning phone calls for same-day subbing assignments or in our New York county, substitutes check daily for web listings of the needs of individual districts with which the sub has contracted. The sub can accept or reject available assignments. In competitive school districts, a sub who does not accept frequent assignments may not receive future calls.

buddhaanalysis on February 22, 2012:

very good article!! thanks i needed guidance.

editorsupremo from London, England on February 21, 2012:

Great hub! There is an online agency in the UK that has reported that there register has quadrupled for part-time work. So it just goes to show that part-time work is not only in demand but is also convenient and beneficial to employers and employees alike.

Voted up.

Mahaveer Sanglikar from Pune, India on February 21, 2012:

This information is very useful for those who are looking for a part time job. Voted up and shared.

Keith Schroeder from Wisconsin on December 14, 2011:

I can attest to #7 (bookkeeper.) My office increase our bookkeeper staff over 300% this year. Many of these people will move up the ladder to high wage/high benefit positions in the near future.

Chuck Nugent (author) from Tucson, Arizona on September 26, 2011:

Pam Walker - this Hub was written in December of 2006 and the overall U.S. economy was running at near full employment with some areas having unemployment of 1% - 2% or less. In this case the definition of unemployment is people who are not employed but who are actively looking for work and have the skills needed for the available jobs.

Today, unemployment is high - in double digits in some areas. However, I have seen some reports that certain industries, like IT services and other specialty areas where employers are having difficulty finding people with the needed skills. I have also seen reports that North and South Dakota have unemployment at 5% or below which is very low.

Pam Walker from Chicago, IL on September 26, 2011:

Just a little curious as to what regions unemployment is approaching zero, because I thought that our economy problem as well as unemployment was global? Can you perhaps shed a little light as to where you found this statistic? Thank you!

Angela Kane from Las Vegas, Nevada on August 29, 2011:

Very good and informative article.

angry birds on August 08, 2011:

Great hub , thanks ! :d

lace wedding dresses on August 07, 2011:

This is my first time i visit here. I found so many entertaining stuff in this site, especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the leisure here! Keep up the good work.

PiaC from Oakland, CA on June 14, 2011:

Another great Hub, Chuck! I have a friend who is looking into entering the workforce after having a baby, and I'll pass this Hub along. Thanks a lot for writing!

powerofknowledge1 on June 12, 2011:

Great article!

clynn10884 from Rhode Island on June 04, 2011:

I am at the moment looking for part-time work, and tried some of these places you mentioned. For some reason I still cannot get hired. I have a clean background record, good with people, can do monday through friday, and have a vehicle. I do not know the problem. Anyway great article.

Drew Breezzy from somewhere in my mind on May 14, 2011:

Waiters make that bank! But have to bust their butt for it!

thedutchman on March 16, 2011:

These are all helpful tips in widening your options in choosing a part-time job. Great post. You can also grab a holiday after a tiring job and visit France. Read this hub to guide you https://hubpages.com/hub/Going-To-France-In-The-Of...

6hotfingers3 on February 04, 2011:

Useful information. It's a good start towards reaching financial goals. Keep up the good work!

Valeed from Pakistan on December 29, 2010:

Great ideas for part time jobs:)

Part Time Online Jobs on November 10, 2010:

Online Part time Jobs For Students, Moms,

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Reserve your spot today at: http://www.teambuildingproject.com/?ref_by=8744

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Trinsick from Cali on October 13, 2010:

I think most people would agree with part time job online being the ones that come to mind, it might be because of our community here at hubpages.

EzeeIncome on September 02, 2010:

Good ideas are for implementation. Thanks for your good ideas.

amber.page from Pittsburgh, Pa on August 27, 2010:

This article is a tremendous help for me, it sprung some ideas I'll remember when I look for a part time job next month! I am a stay at home mom, I related to this well. Thanks for the tips :-)

ankigarg87 on August 25, 2010:

What a great hub and filled with great information.

PR_am from Oregon on August 14, 2010:

Useful resources. Thanks for sharing

Bhavesh960 on August 12, 2010:

Great hub thanks 4 ideas .

Joydeep on August 04, 2010:

Something to think about...really awesome article..I loved it.

Shawn Scarborough from The Lone Star State on July 29, 2010:

Nice hub. These are some really good ideas.

TeaLover from The Beach on July 29, 2010:

Great Hub, making money at home online does require a stick with it attitude. The money may not be fast, but it does come.

Chuck Nugent (author) from Tucson, Arizona on July 17, 2010:

ETwelve - I agree with you. However, I have suggested this to a number of people when they are seeking advice on earning extra money and it doesn't appeal to them.

There are a number of reasons for this:

1 many people feel that they either have no talent for writing and/or don't want to take the time to learn how to make money on the Internet.

2 It takes time to establish yourself and start earning an income online and many people don't want to either wait and/or gamble that the time and work they invest will actually pay off

3 Not everyone makes money online - just look at the number of people posting on the Forums, in the request sections and in comments sections on HubPages who question why they aren't making any money with HubPages.

4 Many people also are not entrepreneurial and prefer the security of a regular paycheck to the fluctuating income from what is essentially freelance work.

That said, I totally agree with you and like the fact that, now that I have over 500 Hubs published and a growing readership, I can continue to make money even when temporary events prevent me from publishing articles for a few weeks.

Thanks again for your comment.

ETwelve from Montreal, Canada on July 17, 2010:

Good advice but I think Rather than part time jobs you should go for Internet marketing and you can make money passively. Initially it is a lot of work but I can tell that once that starts paying then it is in reality very passive.

katie54321 from Pennsylvania on July 07, 2010:

Love the picture for cleaning up after dogs! I could use that here (just kidding). I think that it's important to not consider any job beneath you when looking for a part time job. If you need the money and the work there is no shame in the job you do. I'd rather see someone working at a job that is supposedly "beneath them" but allows them to provide for their friends and family.

mark on June 17, 2010:

aniother one is doing network marketing. You can work on your free time in the day or night marketing your products or do it at home doing online selling. Plus the commissions are good source of residual income.

Chuck Nugent (author) from Tucson, Arizona on May 14, 2010:

dk23456789 - thanks for visiting and for the link you gave.

I checked your link and the jobs offered were taking online surveys. This is an option however, I have tried many of these in the past and, while I made a few dollars from some, the low revenue streams did not justify the time required to earn it. These are a great diversion and way to pick up a few extra dollars while taking a break while working on a computer at home but I doubt one could support themselves on earnings generated from these operations.

Thanks again for commenting and sharing.

dk23456789 on May 13, 2010:

You better have a look at http://scamfreehomejob.webs.com/

dnrkrishnan25 on April 01, 2010:

nice articles.......

Marliza Gunter on March 11, 2010:

Good hub...

Dylan Thomas from New York City on March 07, 2010:

Nice, thanks.

Marie Ryan from Andalusia, Spain on January 29, 2010:

I'm going to send this link to my daughters who NEED PART-TIME JOBS or ANY king of job!!

Thanks!

TheVerbalAxiom on January 28, 2010:

Sweet dude, great hub, a lot of people need a job these days.

hdy from Texas on January 19, 2010:

great hub!

Roger on January 18, 2010:

One thing not mentioned is telecommuting jobs that can be done part time. These are best, as you can do them from home on your own time, so if you have more time one day than the next, you can finish up your part time work without adhering to a strict schedule.

Bmystic57 from Sheldon,Tx on December 13, 2009:

you write about some good ideas here.

thanks for the info

snehal welde on December 06, 2009:

very informative and helpful hub thanks for sharing

Bridgesan from United Kingdom on November 22, 2009:

So there is ops left...

Camas Articuladas on November 05, 2009:

Interesting! Great Hub.

Nail Technician on October 31, 2009:

I think getting some nail training and becoming a nail technician is also a great option, because you have the ability to work for yourself and choose your own hours.

https://hubpages.com/business/Nail-Technician-Cour...

good hub on that.

Great list of options though!

Free God Of War on October 30, 2009:

With all the difficulties I find hard to think people are looking for part-time jobs. Anyway, I think your suggestion are great!

Chuck Nugent (author) from Tucson, Arizona on September 27, 2009:

Helen Thompson - thanks for the comment. I have a friend who drove school bus for many years as it provided a steady income during the school year but still left him time for his real estate business. Between the two he had the benefit of a regular hourly income as a school bus driver and a higher, but irregular, commission income from real estate.

Helen Thompson on September 27, 2009:

Great information! Thank you!

One other one that is becoming very popular is school bus driver - it's a great set of hours, leaving the day and evenings open, and gives summers and holidays off.

Jake on September 23, 2009:

Awesome article.

http://www.earnwagesfromhome.com

elisabethkcmo from Just East of Oz on September 20, 2009:

lots of great ideas

I added this hub as a link on mine

New career ideas

P Morgan on September 04, 2009:

GOod tips, thanks!

wannabehappy1179 on February 19, 2009:

I APPRECIATE THE INFO AND I TRIED SOME OF THESE BEFORE BUT WITHOUT ME HAVING TRANSPORTATION I AM CONFINED TO THE HOUSE AND WAS LOOKING INTO DOING SURVEYS,BUT THEY ALL SEEM TO BE A SCAM SO FAR, THANKS FOR INFO HELPFUL