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Home > Ask A Career Coach > Finding part time work in a full time field

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Finding part time work in a full time field

Jennifer R. on September 1, 2022

Career Change, Job Search

I was recently laid off from my job as part of a large company-wide restructuring. I originally worked full time in my former position, but was able to come back part-time, and stayed part-time due to ongoing fatigue and chemo brain issues. Over time my role changed quite a bit mostly due to the pandemic and growth of the company, but I was still doing some of my original job until I was laid off. I do not have the physical or mental capacity to go back to work full time. Unfortunately, I am finding that all the companies hiring in my field are only interested in hiring full time. I am wondering what is the best approach for dealing with this issue. Should I apply anyway, then let the company know I am only interested in part-time if I am contacted? If so, at what point should I disclose that information? I have had recruiters contact me since my original diagnosis and treatment, and have in some cases replied I would only be interested in part-time work, and that is usually the end of the conversation.



4 Comments

Image of Nicole Jarvis, LMSW

Nicole Jarvis, LMSW

Sep 6, 2022

Cancer and Careers Staff Comment:

Hi Jennifer,


 


Thanks so much for reaching out to Cancer and Careers! I will pass along your inquiry to one of our career coaches, but in the meantime I wanted to provide a few resources that may be helpful.


It sounds like it's been a frustrating process for you even finding roles that would be suitable for what you're feeling up for at the moment. Have you been finding positions primarily through recruiters? Or have there been specific websites you've been using? It might be time to consider alternative methods of finding positions. As I'm sure our career coach will mention as well, networking is really the best way to get connected with potential jobs these days. We have a number of resources on best practices for effective networking in the Networking section of our website. The benefits of networking of course are that you can often have a bit more information about a role before applying, get a bettter sense of what to expect and what may be expected of a candidate they're looking for. In that same vein, it can be a good idea to do some research prior to applying for companies. This is where websites like Glassdoor and LinkedIn can come in handy. You can see what level of flexibility there may be. For instance, if the reviews mention accommodations or flexibile schedules, you may have better insight as to whether requesting a part-time position wold be feasible. Definitely take a look at our article on Flexible Work as well, as this may spark some ideas for you.


Perhaps it is the type of work that you are looking for that's limiting the part-time versus full-time opportunities? Is there any way you may be interested in exploring alternative titles that may be more conducive to a part-time schedule? Not to say you have to completely change the work you're doing, but perhaps taking on a role with fewer responsibilities, so the fewer hours you'd be working wouldn't have as much of an impact? 


These are just a few considerations as you look at your current approach and see where you could maybe adjust some things in order to find a role that is suitable for both your needs and your interests. The section of our website on Exploring Your Options houses a good number of articles aimed at helping you look at circumstances after a cancer diagnosis in a different light.


Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or if you would like any further information or resources! You can always email us at cancerandcareers@cew.org.



Best of luck.


 


Sincerely,


Nicole Jarvis, LMSW


Assistant Director of Programs


Cancer and Careers


Image of Julie Jansen

Julie Jansen

Sep 6, 2022

Career Coach Comment:

Hi Jennifer,


Sorry that you are having this experience. I wish I knew what you do specifically work wise (title, functional expertise, and industry) so if you don't mind writing back to tell me this, I may be able to customize my response more.


Meanwhile, Nicole is exactly right that networking is the way to find a part-time or job share situation because recruiters are not typically hired to find part-time employees. Also, I wonder if you would be open to a contract position or a situation where you are covering for someone out on maternity, paternity, or medical leave? These situations are not posted or promoted as often either so this is why reaching out to people on LinkedIn in your industry makes sense.


I suggest creating a target list of companies in your industry and building your network in these organizations. You may already have a robust network in which case you will want to communicate with your contacts more regularly. Also, if there is a professional/trade association related to your industry, the board members will often know about hiring and people leaving their jobs. 


I look forward to hearing back from you with more information.


Take care,


Julie


Image of Jennifer R.

Jennifer R.

Sep 15, 2022

Hi Julie,

I submitted my resume last week to the resume review service, so you should be able to get a good idea of what I did for a living - assuming I am the only Jennifer who recently submitted a resume! It has been a struggle to even work part-time due to chemo brain, and I had to scale back significantly on my responsibilities. In a sense this would have to be somewhat a career change, as there is no way I can take on a similar position at a new company with the same level of responsibility I had previously, and considering the fact that learning anything new takes longer and I am limited on how much I can take in at a time, just starting any new job will have an unusual level of difficulty.

I have been reaching out to some people in my network, but the answer is always that the companies they work for do not have part-time positions. I will continue to reach out, but was mostly wondering what the best approach is to do when I am approached by a recruiter that found me on LinkedIn or from a referral that may not have mentioned I need part-time work. I was wondering if it makes sense to have initial conversations with recruiters and possibly interviews before broaching the part-time issue.

Thank you,
Jennifer


Image of Steve K.

Steve K.

Apr 26, 2024

Thank you for the advice. I will prioritize what is most important to me.


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