Creative Alternatives to Full-Time Employment

The working world is truly a world of its own, with its own demands, rules, and trend reports that change on a seasonal basis, depending on the needs of the market. At times, full-time work is all the rage, and that’s where everyone heads, and at others, freelance work takes over, bringing with it most of the available job offers, and attracts most of the job seekers. But what do you do when it is a dead season and there doesn’t seem to be anything out there because of the dire market conditions? Do you throw the towel in and give up on your job search? Is there anything you can practically do that will reverse the situation? Actually, there is. There is always something out there for those who are willing to be a little more adventurous than the next person. It’s at times like this that people with creative minds stand out.

In a culture like ours where part-time work is reserved for the few untraditional jobs, it is difficult for the masses to accept that there is a worthwhile alternative to a 9-5 job. There is also the fear of having employment gaps on our resumes and the constant worry as to how we can explain them. It seems we are all on a quest not to allow them to creep in, in the first place. But with so little going round in the job market, freelance work may be your only way out. But what if your job doesn’t come in part-time form? How many of us know of a part-time marketer, for example? The best way to create a win-win situation of the current market conditions is to look at what the market needs and work your way to it. And don’t wait for the employer to come up with all the answers- do your own homework too and be prepared to offer other options when a would-be employer cannot offer you a full-time job. So if you are a marketer for example, and the company cannot offer you a full-time job, why not offer your services and expertise on a per-project basis? This way they get a marketer ONLY when they need one for a specific assignment/project, and they don’t have to pay as much, and they save on all the benefits that they don’t owe you. Be prepared to discuss how many hours of work the project needs, and whether they would prefer you to come in for a few days a week, for a full working day, or for a few hours a day for the entire week, throughout the duration of the project. Such an arrangement can mean that you can take up several of these projects simultaneously (as long as your clients are not competitors!) and ensure a steady income for a while, until something else comes along. Didn’t this approach work?Why not look for a couple of training centers that offer marketing courses- maybe you can make use of your expertise in the field and teach a course or 2? If you have strong practical experience and solid knowledge of your subject matter, you will be a good catch for the center because you may not cost them as much as a big shot trainer may, but you will be able to impart similar valuable knowledge to their students.

If you are an HR professional, look for relatively small companies that do not have a formal HR department and offer them your services. Maybe they can hire you on a project basis to put together a company handbook for them, or to set up a recruiting system for them to follow long after your gone. Maybe they need someone to create job descriptions for their employees, or someone to help them make a decision on which HR software they should be using. All you need to land one or 2 of these “projects” is evidence of the know-how of the business and some selling skills, so you can convince the company that your services are in need. Cant find anything of the sort? Be a bit more adventurous- look for a business/professional publication that may be interested in your knowledge of HR and may want you to write articles for them, using your professional knowledge. Don’t worry if your writing skills are not perfect- they can always edit your work for clarity, as long as the subject matter is worthwhile.

But how experienced do you need to be to be worth hiring as a consultant or on a project basis? Actually, there are no rules here. If you are a relatively inexperienced administrative assistant, for example who has just lost a job during a round of lay-offs, why not consider offering your services on a part-time/freelance basis to a number of small companies that cannot afford or don’t need someone with your skills on a regular basis. A company will always need someone to type documents, organize files, make business trip arrangements, etc. You can help out for a few days a week until something more stable comes along. Contractual work is out there at all career levels and in most career fields, but it all depends on how creative and persuasive you are. 

But is freelance/contractual/project work the only legitimate way of filling in gaps between one full-time job and another? What happened to continuing education? Maybe this is the time to invest in a course that will directly affect how quickly you land your next job, or how well you do it. This is usually an option that not many people think of, since it requires spending money when we don’t know when we will be getting more. But with all the different training providers springing up all over the place, you are bound to find a decently priced course in your field of interest. And this field of interest need not be your current career field. Have you always wanted to forgo the corporate world and go into teaching, but never got round to it because you had a good job and people would say you were crazy to give it up for the unknown? Well, now you don’t need to worry about that- the decision has been made for you, and the only decision you need to make is to pursue your passion. Look for a teacher-training course that is moderately priced and that gives you access to practical training. If you do well in the course, they may be able to offer you a job after that. A seemingly irrational decision can be rational if you put the right amount of thought into it and weigh the odds carefully.

Having said all this, there is nothing wrong with a few months’ gap on your resume while you rest and find another full time job, provided there aren’t too many of these gaps all over your resume. Whatever you do, make sure you are convinced with your decision- if you aren’t, you’ll find it very difficult to convince your interviewer!