3 ways to make part-time work fulfilling

Those who work in full-time roles often say they would relish the opportunity to work part-time, and while there are obvious challenges in doing so, it’s good to be aware of the many other obstacles part-time workers frequently face.

SEEK research revealed that 1 in 4 (23%) part-time workers stated that they have felt discriminated against as someone working part-time. When full-time workers were probed on the same topic, their key perceived reasons for this were that they were ‘not as readily available as their full-time colleagues’ (47%) and that, ‘they had a lack of commitment to their company’ (38%).

We asked Naomi Easson, Senior Recruitment Consultant of Morgan Consulting to share her top three tips to make part-time work fulfilling.

• Make the most of your flexible hours. 58% of Australians believe that working part-time is career limiting. But the good news is, there are always ways to build on your career when you’re not at work.
  
  Naomi firstly advises to get a good diary and utilise the free time you have. “Is there an hour in the morning when the kids have been dropped at school that you could plug into an online course to upskill or focus on your own wellbeing and meditate?”
  
  “Consider developing a personal passion business you could run from home or helping a local business build up their social media profile, as providing a service for free initially can often lead to a small income once you’re established.”
   
• Try and find work that you enjoy. 30% of Australians said the main reason they work part-time is for work-life balance. When asked what they specifically meant by work-life balance, most stated flexible hours and ensuring they had time to perform additional duties at home.
  
  Easson warns that when you’re working part-time, it can be easy to fall into a trap of thinking you do not need to enjoy your job. “Just because you might not be there for 40 hours a week, I would encourage everyone to think carefully about what they do for a living, and whether they feel positive and gain a good sense of accomplishment from their job.”
  
  She says that there are plenty of good recruiters and career advisors that can help you work out your life goals and what kind of work can help you to achieve these. “Feeling positive about the work you do can impact the rest of your life, so it’s always worth exploring the right fit for you.”
   
• Get your foot in the door. 13% of Australians stated that working part-time wasn’t by choice, their key reason being that they can’t currently find full-time work, so have taken up one or multiple part-time jobs to try and earn some money in the interim.
  
  Easson frequently comes across people who turn down part-time opportunities due to their financial situation, but says that having the flexibility to work part-time can give you the chance to get your foot in the door of a company you really want to work for.
  
  “Once you are inside a company, you are much more likely to be considered for promotion, training and other opportunities, so see an opportunity for its long-term prospects and not the initial job description.”

58% of Australians believe that working part-time is career limiting.