Are you on the lookout for a part-time position? Due to the weak labor market, even part-time workers are more difficult to find and secure than they were five years earlier.

Money Life Wax offers some advice about how to increase the odds of landing a part-time career with fewer hours.

Get Your Job Search Essentials in Order

You’ll need an up-to-date resume, a computer with high-speed Internet service, and a phone for your part-time career. Seeking part-time work should be more about finding something that blends with your life and skills than it should be about finding someone in your dream area.

When making conference calls or scheduling interviews, stay away from loud areas. When a prospective boss calls, you don’t want to come off as unprofessional. Similarly, you don’t want to risk your regular career while looking for part time jobs, so it’s better to stay away from all events relevant to your job quest at your current workplace.

Finding a quiet, secluded location where you can do your study without being interrupted is beneficial. A public library is a good place to go if you have a laptop and can find a suitable study room that makes cellular phone use or has a convenient location where you can chat on the phone.

Set Up Email Accounts

You’ll need to create a new email address dedicated solely to your career quest. Since certain employers track corporate email activity, just because you sent something from a “private” inbox doesn’t mean it’s private.

A variety of internet service providers, including Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft, offer free accounts. When using a public device, be cautious: set up your account on a trusted system and sign out of your email account if you leave the machine except for a moment.

Before you begin your work hunt, write a polite letter of introduction that can be changed for any role now that you have your resume polished and free of errors. Because of a single misspelling on their resume or contact details, many career seekers are turned down.

Use Online Resources

Job-search websites are useful for browsing and searching through thousands of job openings on the internet. It’s important to understand how these places operate, what jobs they report, and what jobs they don’t list. 

Job search engines such as monster.com and careerbuilder.com have millions of job openings. There are also websites like indeed.com and simplyhired.com that combine work from various search engines into one simple venue.

Find an online career board that fits your needs and make use of it. It’s important to be very precise in the searches on these pages, both in terms of geographic area and the category of positions you’re looking for.

Consider the schedule as well. If your present job needs you to work in an office during the day, a weekend supermarket job or an evening job in a restaurant would be the best fit for you. Reduce the number of jobs you look for to just those that complement your schedule.

Get Your Name Out There

Searching and searching for jobs on the internet is just part of the fight. Networking is an important aspect of the career quest and can significantly speed up the process. Have a copy of your resume with you at all times, and ask anyone you meet if they know of any openings.

The majority of workers never surface in career search engines. When networking with others, don’t hesitate to ask for connections to other connections, and thank anyone who assists you or attempts to assist you (even if their leads wind up as dead ends).

Another advantage of putting your resume out there is that a recruiter could come across it and give you a full-time job. Instead of juggling two jobs, you might find a new career that is better than the one you have now.

Stay Positive

Be assured of your skills and don’t get discouraged if you don’t immediately find what you’re looking for. Many people and machines would likely reject you before you get the “welcome aboard” message. Take it personally; there will still be a job for you, so move on to the next chance.

Be Persistent

Continue to post job openings on job boards and networks; perseverance and dedication are the keys to performance. Just because you got an interview doesn’t mean you can stop looking.

Continue looking for work before you find one that you like, pays well and blends into your schedule. When you are already employed, it is the right time to look for part-time work. Continue hunting for a part-time job that suits your needs and covers your bills.

Keep Your Guard Up

The only disadvantage of posting your resume to work boards is that it draws a lot of spam mail, misleading offers, fake deals, and ads for jobs that aren’t needed or necessary.

Part-time occupations are ideal for someone who wants to put their otherwise idle time to good use by earning money. Do you think you’ll need to work part-time?

If you answered yes, the advice given above would undoubtedly assist you in obtaining the work you want. Good luck, and keep these part-time career tips in mind.