Family balance
More professionals opt to go part time
Part-time wannabes are wise to include nonprofits, small firms, and start-ups in their search. Striking out with dozens of law firms, large companies, and headhunters, Tracy Birmingham shifted her strategy. Having once worked at a university, she knew that such institutions couldn't always budget for enough full-time attorneys. "I made a cold call to the University of New Hampshire and said, 'If you're looking to hire someone for a limited amount of time, I'm available,' " she says.
Another strategy is to interview for jobs with a lower salary or less responsibility than you're used to. In that case, you may be able to offer the company greater expertise than they thought they could afford. And networking is key, as plum part-time positions often are not advertised. After Dawn Miller of Santa Ana, Calif., left her job at Macy's West to care for her children, she kept in touch. When a job-share opened up in human resources, the company called her. Professional associations are also good places to spread the word, as are groups that promote work-life balance, such as Flex-Time Lawyers of Philadelphia.
The desire of many professionals to work fewer hours has dovetailed nicely with firms who have shied away from boosting head counts after the last economic downturn. As a result, some companies are exploring "just in time" hiring, recruiting executives for short stints when needed. Agencies such as Spherion, Kelly Services, and Manpower that cater to these firms can be valuable resources for part-time jobs.
When you do land shorter hours, keep in mind that your new schedule might not solve all your time troubles. It takes vigilance and diplomacy to prevent a part-time workload from expanding to full-time proportions. Still, many who've adopted a reduced schedule say they'll never go back. "This is not something I want to do just while my kids are young," says Michael Moody, Jeff Ward's job-sharing partner. "I hope we continue it for many years." For professionals like these, part-time work has become a full-time way of life.
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