Part-time employment is a great way to have a fulfilling work life and still have time for yourself. However, many people don’t pursue this type of work because they think it might impact or delay their career growth.
In fact, a study conducted by SEEK found that 58% of Australians believed that working part-time was career-limiting.
In fact, a study conducted by SEEK found that 58% of Australians believed that working part-time was career-limiting.
It also found that part-time workers are more likely to be female (62% vs 38% males), lower income (83% earn less than $42K annually) and metro-based (58%).
While some people don’t work part-time out of choice (13%), those that do say their main reason for doing so is for work-life balance (30%). For the majority of people this means working flexible hours and ensuring they have time to perform additional duties at home.
This sounds ideal for anyone who has ever complained that there aren’t enough hours in the day, however one in four (23%) part-time workers surveyed by SEEK said they have felt discriminated against for working part-time. This was significantly higher for females (30%) than it was for males (12%).
But part-time work doesn’t have to have negative consequences for you or your career. Wayne Baker, Chief Operations Officer at Symmetry HR, says there are many ways to make sure your part-time job benefits your career.
● IT
● Quality assurance
● Technical finance
● Highly difficult forklift roles
● Aged care
● Business development
● Accounting support
What’s most important is that your part-time job is fulfilling for you, otherwise you’ll be less likely to stick it out. Baker says the key to this is balance. “If you can keep a healthy balance, then the key wheels in your life will be turning at a rate that you and all the people in your life will be content with.”