Working World

With the economy the way it is, perhaps you’ve had your hours cut or didn’t get that raise you’d hoped for (and really need). If you need to supplement your current income with something part time, flexible and perhaps temporary, just to tide you over, there are many creative options for adding a few dollars each month while keeping your day job.

First, be sure it’s not against the rules at your main place of employment for you to “moonlight.” And, of course, never do activities related to job #2 on the time or equipment of job #1. If you’re out of work altogether, it’s also possible to cobble together some part-time paying activities to keep the wolf from the door until a real job comes along. The following are just some suggestions. The key here is thinking creatively, based on your own situation, skills, talents and opportunities.

Census Work

In January 2010 the U.S. will begin its decade-based ritual of counting everyone, so the federal government has different assignment terms for various skill sets. The Census Bureau is recruiting now and will continue to do so through next spring. Most jobs pay weekly and bilingual candidates are especially valuable. Census takers work 20 to 40 hours a week, but there are other types of jobs available that may be full time, part time or intermittent. Click here for openings in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Testing is required for some positions, so call 1-866-861-2010 to find a local office for more information. 

Focus Groups

Market research or consumer testing companies will often solicit the opinions of people to help in developing a product or creating a marketing strategy. These are occasional opportunities with payment by the day, and they usually involve showing up at a conference facility, although some groups are now conducted online. This can be especially fun if you are really opinionated. Check out the Green Book website for a directory of market research companies, which can be used as a guide to focus group opportunities. Some of these companies keep databases of potential group participants and you can register to be notified about future groups.

Tutoring

If you are good with children and academically inclined, you could tutor elementary, middle school or high school students a few hours a week through private tutoring companies. These jobs generally require an excellent education, testing, a background check and often a California teaching credential.

If you relate better with older students, contact the academic affairs office of your local college to find out if they hire part-time tutors directly or if they keep a referral database of tutors for their students.

You can teach nonacademic subjects as well. If you have specialized skills or talents and are proficient at a certain level, you can be an instructor in that area and have fairly flexible hours. If you know how to dance, play an instrument, speak a foreign language, or operate specialized computer applications such as Photoshop or QuickBooks, consider giving lessons on an individual basis. Or explore working for an institution that provides training in that subject. You should like working with people and have the requisite patience in order to be successful at this.

Fallout From the Recession

There are a few businesses thriving right now, but, sadly, many of them are bankruptcy attorneys, loan agents handling mortgage refinancing, and collection agencies. However, companies like these may be able to use part-time office help, couriers or other support personnel. Use your contacts to find out about possibilities like these. 

Arts & Crafts

If you are an artist or craftsperson and believe what you make is good enough to sell (or want to find out if it is), look into becoming a vendor at street fairs, festivals and farmers’ markets where you can rent a booth to hawk your wares on an occasional or even weekly basis. A list of fairs and festival events can be found at LAOkay.com. Contact the organizers of each event to get vendor information and an application.

While not all farmers’ markets allow the selling of crafts, some do. Check out Farmer Net. It will get you started exploring the ones that may provide a venue for selling your goods.

Even though demand for luxury items and nonessential goods are down, you may do well enough to make it worthwhile, and it is certainly a good marketing opportunity to get your name and product out there for when times improve and people have more cash.

Food Service

Catering companies sometimes have work available for wait staff and bartenders on an on-call basis for events. It’s not steady, but it is flexible and you’ll be called back for more assignments if you’re professional and reliable. 

Become an Extra

Working as an extra can be a lot of fun (although much of it consists of waiting around). The trick is to find and use only reputable casting agencies and stay away from the abounding scams. All casting agencies will charge a processing fee for registration, photos and putting you in their database, but the real ones also actually find you jobs.

The experts advise that you network with people in the entertainment industry to get referrals. Also check with the Better Business Bureau before signing on. Once you’re in the system, wait for a call and an assignment to a TV show, movie set or commercial, where you will begin your glamorous life. By becoming acquainted with others in the field, you may not get “discovered,” but you could get enough assignments for an enhanced cash flow and will have some interesting stories at your next barbecue.

Foreign Language Translators

If you are fluent in a foreign language, freelance translators and interpreters are in demand. ProZ claims to be the leading site for language-related jobs and is a website where you can bid on jobs and pick up occasional work as you have time. It is membership-based but worth checking out if you are multilingual and qualified to provide these types of services.

There are many legitimate, part-time, flexible ways to earn extra money, either short-term or long-term. It is still hard work to find work, but by thinking creatively and using all your talents and skills it is possible to keep life and limb together until better economic times roll around.  

Suzanne Ridgway is a freelance writer and regular columnist/contributor for Working World and Working Nurse magazines. Suzanne also writes grant proposals for nonprofit organizations.