Will 2 part-time jobs equal 1 full time job? Anyone have any experience w/ this?
I'm looking at asking my current employer to work part-time so I can continue to work for them, but also do the same type of work for multiple employers.. possibly making more money and running my own "consultancy" so to speak. Anyone have experience doing something like this?
*my background is in client relations & customer experience
I pay the bills with consulting. The biggest mistake I made was underestimating how much time it takes to find and pitch new business -- you spend a ton of time on the phone working deals that don't go anywhere.
Context switching is also expensive: bouncing from project to project and client to client throughout the day costs time and productivity.
With that said, I wouldn't have it any other way!
Thanks for the advice, I certainly am aware of the challenges, especially as you mention the context switching I'm sure is tough. But it does seem like you found it the right move for you. Do you ever scour job boards for clients? Those that might be looking for part-time workers? I get phone interviews from this all the time, but it always seems like just a lateral move for me personally, hence why I'm considering this approach.
There are advantages to the approach: with several smaller clients it doesn't hurt as badly if one churns or has a slow month or two. They also don't monopolize and demand my time the way one full-time employer would.
I don't scour job boards, no. All my work comes in through my own marketing efforts. In my experience it's unusual for people to look for part time workers, but once you speak with them they may be open to it. Often they simply haven't considered that as an option.
Also make sure to factor in the cost and opportunity cost of extra benefits that would be provided by an employer. Here in the US many of those benefits are forfeited if you're not a full time employee, and you're certainly going to be on the hook for them if you're consulting on your own.
This includes the obvious things like health insurance, but also consider losses to things like 401k matches that you won't get on your own.
This comment was deleted 6 years ago