Low hours jobs

ChurchMouth on 20/09/2016 - 09:28
Last edited 20/09/2016 - 09:30

Hi all,

I am thinking about quitting my typical office engineering job and chasing some entrepreneurial goals + travel with my partner who has a FIFO arrangement.

As I am abit nervous at the thought of leaving a good job (I would receive a lot of flack from my extended family), potentially having no income for a while and uncertainty of my success as an entrepreneur - I thinking it would be ideal if there was some sort of job that I could have on the side that wouldn't interfere with my goals:

Ideal job would be as follows:

  • ~2 hrs per day + travel
  • ~30$/hr (I am not sure what minimum wage is for an adult in mid 20's)
  • Involves people (building relationships working with other people, maybe helping challenged people/ youth)
  • Wouldn't have any brain burden out of hours (a problem of my current job)

Ideally I'd like to spend a couple of hours each day doing it and then even if I failed as an entrepreneur I wouldn't feel like I have completely wasted my time.

I have heard of a few friends of friends who assist a parent with their autistic children (like a babysitter) for a couple of hours to give the parents a break. I don't know if that is common thing or not, or whether males are even desired for that sort of care.

I'd also be interested in any sort of regular jobs (i.e. baker) that might fit the criteria.

Thanks for your ideas

Education & Work

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2016 - 09:38
    +6

    standing in the line at centrelink?

    • ChurchMouth on 20/09/2016 - 09:43
      +33

      If I qualify for centrelink there is something very wrong with the system

      • Mysterious Laptop on 25/09/2016 - 23:59
        -1

        sarcasm definitely doesnt pass well over the internet..

  • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2016 - 09:43
    +18

    Good luck getting a job paying you 30 bucks an hour for 2 hours

    People want committed staff today and there is a lack of those according to the recent news about younger people on centrelink

    • ChurchMouth on 20/09/2016 - 09:45
      +1

      Agree it is rare - Any ideas appreciated.

      • scrimshaw on 20/09/2016 - 09:49
        +13

        either be self employed, or maybe just join the Uber ranks

        if you have teaching experience maybe become a private tutor

        • ChurchMouth on 20/09/2016 - 09:58
          +2

          Uber - legitimate idea but a little against my nature as I dislike driving (I live in a near city apartment to minimise driving requirements)

          Tutoring is a good idea - Even though I am engineer, in university I tended to cram and rapidly forget a lot of things.. and I think I learn in a way different to others that makes it hard for me to explain things from basics. Previous tutelage attempts have been woeful but I think with some preparation I could make it work.

        • yolohobo on 20/09/2016 - 22:29

          It's worth noting Uber is only likely to pay around $20/hour once you take costs into account.

        • Kangal on 21/09/2016 - 16:32
          +10

          @sipitai:
          It's worth noting Uber is only likely to pay around $20 $15/hour once you take costs into account.

          There, ftfy.

        • serpserpserp on 21/09/2016 - 21:01
          +9

          @ChurchMouth:

          "All you need to do is stay one lesson ahead of the kid!"

          — Marge Simpson.

        • virhlpool on 25/09/2016 - 09:53

          @Kangal: Plus you need to buy a car which fits Uber requirements..right? ANY car won't do.

      • caspochek on 21/09/2016 - 10:29
        +23

        Lolly pop person(crossing supervisor) pays about $27 I remember seeing once, 1hour in the morning 1hour in arvo

        • johnno07 on 21/09/2016 - 21:08
          +1

          Yep. They fall under the AO3 payband in QLD. Which as a casual, grosses you about $30 an hour. I'm not sure how rostering works, but school zones are 7-9am and 2-4pm. So you could be doing up to four hours a day. Though it's unlikely that you'll be working casually full-time unless you are contracted.

        • Tonster76 on 22/09/2016 - 01:49
          +1

          I think they reserve these types of jobs for retirees

        • inherentchoice on 22/09/2016 - 15:29
          +1

          @johnno07: I think you mean OO3 not AO3. AO3 casual pay is around $40 an hour.

          Aren't the crossing supervisors unpaid volunteers?

        • johnno07 on 22/09/2016 - 15:44

          @inherentchoice: Nope I mean AO3 - which is about $33/hr casual.

          EDIT: you might be right that they fall under the OO bands - in which case it's a couple of bucks less.

          And no they aren't unpaid, I believe they make up a significant portion of TMR employees.

        • inherentchoice on 22/09/2016 - 16:01
          +2

          @johnno07: There's a 23% loading for casual in lieu of leave entitlements. I looked it up now and from my calculation the current casual rate for level A03 is $37.46 to $41.60 (depending on years of experience).

          That's interesting though that the crossing supervisors are paid. I guess they can't risk having volunteers not showing up.

        • ItsMeAgro on 24/09/2016 - 10:36
          -1

          @Tonster76:

          Mostly female retirees

        • virhlpool on 25/09/2016 - 09:55

          Aren't the crossing supervisors unpaid volunteers?

          @inherentchoice: I too thought they are volunteers and also some with correction orders (for social service) from court. No?

      • goodcopbadcop on 21/09/2016 - 11:11
        +2

        The minimum weekly adult wage for a 38 hour week is $672.70 per week (before tax), or $17.70 per hour.

      • bl1027 on 21/09/2016 - 11:17
        +5

        Look into Airtasker, an app where people post random tasks that they need doing but either can't be bothered or don't have the skills. You can pick and choose the jobs/hours that suit you and some pay pretty well. Eg Assemble Ikea furniture, pick up and drop off table, help out at kids party etc.

        Just as an example, we are looking to purchase a cheap investment property in Tassie but being in Sydney, we can't attend each open home. We found someone to attend the openings, take photos, report back etc.

        Some tasks are really interesting too. Once saw an ad for someone to spy on a suspected cheating spouse.

        • Kangal on 21/09/2016 - 16:34
          +3

          Wow, that seems like an awesome App/idea.
          I think I'll look into it myself, cheers for the post !

      • Harold Halfprice on 21/09/2016 - 22:57
        +1

        a casual position at any big retailer/supermarket will get you around $25p/h maybe a bit more.
        you'd meet a lot of people, and get to interact with customers. and don't have to think about work once you clock off.

        but, 2 hours a day aint gonna happen. you must get paid a minimum of 3 hours, even if you only work 1 or 2 - so you'll be made to work at a minimum of 3 hour shifts. at least in victoria that's the case..

        you might have better luck doing 1 or 2 full 8 hour days a week rather than 2 hours per day

        • tghtarse on 22/09/2016 - 09:51
          -1

          Lol you havent looked at the recent union deals with Maccas, Coles, Woolies etc and how unions screwed over their own members :)

        • EVL on 23/09/2016 - 22:45

          @tghtarse: Perhaps before commenting you should understand what you're commenting on as opposed to what the headlines told you"

        • virhlpool on 25/09/2016 - 09:58

          Retail jobs aren't easy to get these days. A friend was speaking to a Woollies/Coles managers for a job and they both said they already had heaps of applications in queue. Correct me if I am wrong.

    • MrMcHairyHead on 21/09/2016 - 16:43
      +2

      If staff aren't committed, their pay and conditions simply aren't good enough. That's all there is too it. It's the business' responsibility to offer conditions that make people stay.

      However you are right that it's unlikely they'll get a job with such short hours. It's even illegal in some places.

    • jenkemjunkie on 22/09/2016 - 08:50
      +3

      Really?! Casualisation of the workforce is what seems more prevalent these days. Can't get committed staff when they are considered expendable.

  • scrimshaw on 20/09/2016 - 09:45
    +2

    or whether males are even desired for that sort of care.

    The market is growing for males but you need a Cert 3 in childcare (CHC30113), which is roughly 18 months of study. Once enrolled you will study a couple of units and get placed into work placement.

    The pay however is fairly low so don't expect to earn any more than your average retail worker. In fact some in retail might earn even more…. and the hours are more flexible.

    I work casual and the min hours each day is 3 hours — can't do less than that.

    • ChurchMouth on 20/09/2016 - 09:48
      +1

      Thanks - I certainly wouldn't want to spend that much time for a job which is meant to be a small distraction.

      • stueyh on 21/09/2016 - 17:38

        Depending on your state, look in to After School Care, the qualifications required for an assistant role at this stage are different in each state, you can get 2-3 hour shifts and earn about $20-25/hour depending on where you fit on the wage scale

  • Adz81 on 20/09/2016 - 09:47
    +1

    Given that you're only looking for $120ish/week, I'm assuming that your in a position where income from this job is not a massive priority (I'm in no way getting my judge on here- just my interpretation). If I've gotten this right, have you thought about maybe volunteering for that time during the week? There's your interaction with people and there will be support groups that will snap up a volunteer, even for a couple of half days a week.

    • ChurchMouth on 20/09/2016 - 09:51
      +1

      This is true we are in a financially good position for me to earn 0$ and we would survive (i.e. I have savings + partner is happy to continue working), however my partner might start getting cranky if our savings start draining rapidly. Hopefully the entrepreneurial pursuits would start to pay off.

  • Ughhh on 20/09/2016 - 09:51
    +7

    The only job I can think of that fits your criteria of 2hrs and $30+/hr is toilet cleaning. Everything else like retail requires more hours and commitment or certifications/experience.

    • ChurchMouth on 20/09/2016 - 09:54

      Thanks - Reminded me of when I cleaned/ maintained a kindergarten (after hours) when I was younger (my sisters job but I subbed in for her while she holidayed). That was approx 2 hrs a day.

      Unfortunately the lack of interaction makes it unappealing for personal developement, but good idea none-the-less.

      • Ughhh on 20/09/2016 - 09:58
        +26

        Who says you can't have a conversation with the people in the cubical. Lots of secret conversations happen in the toilets! On top of that, it takes time for them to finish, pull their pants up and run.

        • ChurchMouth on 20/09/2016 - 10:06

          I'm not keen to be a regular toilet cleaner and I doubt they would only need one for 2hrs.

        • Kangal on 21/09/2016 - 16:36
          +3

          @ChurchMouth:
          I used to clean toilets in a bar in Sydney. $50 for less than an hour.

          You don't know the sorta things you're willing to do when you're desperate ; )

        • nobro25 on 23/09/2016 - 02:19

          Or you can meet a moaning Myrtle!

    • greatlamp on 21/09/2016 - 12:51

      No retail job would pay $30 ph anyway.

      • scrimshaw on 21/09/2016 - 13:50

        On Sundays, you can earn up to $40 per hour actually.

  • Mikinoz on 20/09/2016 - 10:20
    +7

    Swim coach

    • datmt on 21/09/2016 - 16:51
      +5

      I am currently a part time swim teacher and for me, it has been one of the most fulfilling careers I have undertaken.

      Currently, I teach baby classes, primary school students, high school students and disability students as well, which it sounds like an area you were interested in.

      In regards to pay, I work for the council which will pay you ~ $32 casual for minimum 2 hours work, much better than other private organisations.

      Highly recommended for someone who is looking for short hours, personal fulfillment and generous pay.

      • virhlpool on 25/09/2016 - 10:01

        How is the availability of such positions though and how easy/difficult is to get through?

        • datmt on 26/09/2016 - 05:48

          There are 4 things you need to do to become a swim teacher:

          1. Obtain AUSTSWIM Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety ~ $400 for a 2 day course or Swim Australia Teacher ~$260 (AUSWIM is more recognised)

          2. Obtain Working with Children Employment ~ $119

          3. Obtain First Aid Level 1 ~ $80

          4. Complete 20 shadow hours at a swim school or until competent to be assessed by swim assessor

          For me, I never had an issue with finding work as councils and local swim centres are always looking for swim teachers. I recommend doing your shadow hours at a pool you wish to work at.

          Its not glamorous as you can be in the pool for 2-3 hours. It can be cold and is taxing on your skin.

          However, I would highly recommend it if you enjoy and have skills to work with kids and their families. When parents or students come up to you and genuinely thank you for your service makes it all worth it.

  • miicah on 20/09/2016 - 10:27
    +2

    Uber is the most obvious one.

  • altomic on 20/09/2016 - 11:35
    +5

    part time spy

    • Pricebeat on 21/09/2016 - 21:53
      +10

      Can't spy just for two hours and leave.

  • ChurchMouth on 20/09/2016 - 11:37
    +1

    What does it take to be a dog walker?

    • altomic on 20/09/2016 - 11:42
      +51

      legs

    • mooney on 20/09/2016 - 12:36
      +50

      dogs

    • Kangal on 21/09/2016 - 16:37
      +12

      dog-legs

    • ntt on 22/09/2016 - 00:11
      -1

      Who let the dogs out who who who

    • JayM on 22/09/2016 - 21:54
      +1

      Couple dog walking with charging people to hatch their pokemon go eggs/levelling buddy and you have yourself a lucrative business plan.

  • shaybisc on 20/09/2016 - 12:30
    +2

    You didn't say how many days at two hours but I'll assume five. Five days at 2 hours a day sounds like a massive pain in the arse to me. All the hassle of travelling 10 times, getting ready 5 times. One 10 hour day much better.

    • ChurchMouth on 20/09/2016 - 12:54
      +2

      Agree, however if the work is within a few km's then I'd travel on a bike and consider it an opportunity for exercise too.

      • Kangal on 21/09/2016 - 16:38
        +2

        You could also hatch some eggs and catch some Pokemon on the way too!!

  • inherentchoice on 20/09/2016 - 13:11
    +2

    Flip stuff on eBay and Gumtree? I think you can potentially achieve an average $30 per hour or even much much more. But you would have to get good at it and become experienced in what items are worth and the types of items that can be flipped quickly. And you may be preying upon people's generosity and insecurities.

    Plus you can't really do this and travel at the same time.

    I saw a youtube vid where the guy would hit up like 30 Garage sales on a Saturday and just get a full car-load of old video games to list on eBay for BIG returns.

    • PAOK11 on 21/09/2016 - 09:36

      This is what I have been doing for the past year. Although I have a passion for old video games. I wish I could keep them for myself but $$$$ dollar signs are more rewarding to me. Also the retro market is a lot more lucrative these days but I don't attend garage sales for two reasons; 1) because you have to get up early & be one of the first there plus i'm under 30 and its not really my scene & 2) When I do attend I find a lot of junk

      • inherentchoice on 21/09/2016 - 11:32

        And how much do you make per hour roughly? More than $30?

        • PAOK11 on 21/09/2016 - 11:49
          +1

          No hahaha… Nowhere near $30 an hour. Although I would make more if I did it full time which I don't. Collectors are as crafty as the resellers & know they can get things cheap also. Ebay and Paypal takes a piece and the post office also can take a chunk if your not careful. It's all about buying low selling high but RARE items are the money makers & obviously RARE is hard to find

        • inherentchoice on 21/09/2016 - 11:55
          +1

          @PAOK11:

          Hmm ok. Here are some videos I saw which can give you an idea of what's possible, at least in North America. In the second one he hits a heap of garage sales early and as fast as possible and only looks for video games…

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk_wpyd8yRY
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UdG3SlIItk

        • PAOK11 on 21/09/2016 - 12:03

          Don't get me wrong I haven't gone to the effort of calculating a hourly rate because that's a fair bit of work but If I was making $30 a hour I think I would know haha it's much much less than that. Thanks for the videos i'll take a look. surprisingly you need a lot of product knowledge because you need to value things quickly & work out if you can turn a profit, again the Rare items must be identified before someone else catches on it's highly competitive but I enjoy it and do have a passion for the games.

        • virhlpool on 25/09/2016 - 10:05

          @inherentchoice:

          Here are some videos I saw which can give you an idea of what's possible, at least in North America.

          That's the thing though. It's much bigger market there. Things work there might not work here. Paid car wash is one such example, not too common here as there.

    • z0s0 on 21/09/2016 - 18:54
      +3

      A good friend of mine makes >$200K per year doing basically this. It's pretty capitally intensive (i.e. his purchases tend to be in the $10K -> $30K range); but he doesn't sweat too many hours doing it. He's also very intelligent and could probably be successful at any number of different businesses.

    • virhlpool on 25/09/2016 - 10:04

      I saw a youtube vid where the guy would hit up like 30 Garage sales on a Saturday and just get a full car-load of old video games to list on eBay for BIG returns.

      Key is to learn to identify which ones are in working condition and which ones are not.

  • mskeggs on 20/09/2016 - 13:15
    +2

    So why wait till you quit to start this new part time work or entrepreneurial activities?
    If you are already making a bit of money before you quit you will get much less flack from your family.

    I disagree there is a lack of jobs paying $30 an hour for two hours, but they typically only pay this for a short period (i.e. you can't double to 4 hours).
    Some jobs I have seen in this category:
    - flag pole attendant
    - camp ground manager
    - railway station newspaper kiosk

    In each of the above cases, the job was being done by an otherwise retired person, but that is close to what you would be!

    • ChurchMouth on 20/09/2016 - 16:45

      Thanks for the confidence boost. Yes it would be ideal to have it lined up before quitting !

      Do you think there is much scope for door knocking on businesses like cafes , stores etc and offer my services. Businesses that have a "busy" hour might benefit from staff like me. Most people aren't keen because the hrs aren't enough but that's precisely what I want.

      • Tonster76 on 22/09/2016 - 01:57

        I doubt you'll have much luck just asking them if you can work a few hours that suit you. Won't be worth their time training you or organising payroll and super, nor will they have any confidence you'll stick around.

    • inherentchoice on 20/09/2016 - 17:03
      +2

      railway station newspaper kiosk

      Do newspaper kiosk's still exist? :o

      Come to think of it I think there are some in Sydney but I can't remember seeing any in Queensland.

    • virhlpool on 25/09/2016 - 10:08

      @mskeggs: Where do they list these jobs, just curious?

  • Gunther on 20/09/2016 - 14:33

    Another vote for Uber - flexibility, decent pay, people orientated.

    • ChurchMouth on 20/09/2016 - 16:47

      I am considering it more. It would put me in a social situation. I do find driving stressful and don't like spending money on cabs so it's kinda funny that I'd consider it

  • theHMASfriendship on 21/09/2016 - 08:34

    Maybe a uni tutor?

    My sister was doing some engineering tutoring while she was doing another completely unrelated degree after she got sick of being an engineer. Not sure how many hours she was doing but it was under 8hrs /week. Easier to line up if you had some good relationships with your lecturers.

    • ChurchMouth on 21/09/2016 - 08:39

      I didn't go to uni where I currently live unfortunately

      • theHMASfriendship on 21/09/2016 - 08:45

        Guess it may still be worth looking into if you have a uni local to where you are now. If you live in the Brisbane CBD then QUT is right there, or it's a quick bus ride to Griffith or UQ.

  • chumlee on 21/09/2016 - 08:40
    +13

    Gigolo/hooker.

    • schwinn on 21/09/2016 - 16:25
      +13

      He said 2 hours of work not 2 minutes.

      • Kangal on 21/09/2016 - 16:51
        +9

        Well there usually is the 1 hour foreplay before, then 1 hour of sobbing at the end.

        • altomic on 13/10/2016 - 11:48

          Have we met?

        • Kangal on 13/10/2016 - 14:08

          @altomic:
          Depends.
          I'm on the corner of Elizabeth and High Street, Friday nights ; )

  • tinoproductions on 21/09/2016 - 09:02

    I don't know what city you are in, but you can certainly get $30/hr doing promo work here in Sydney.
    You get to talk to people all day, and it's always different.

    It could be as simple as handing out free samples in a shopping centre, telling people about Opal card etc.
    It gives you the few hours and flexibility you seek.

    Best of luck in your ventures.

    • greatlamp on 21/09/2016 - 12:52
      +5

      I think you need particular 'skills' to do promo work

  • Seraphin7 on 21/09/2016 - 09:12

    Uber.

  • cloudy on 21/09/2016 - 09:35

    Neighborhood flyers.

    While your at it, stick a flyer offering gardening assistance, or caring asssistwnce for parents who want Friday night dates.

    • johnno07 on 21/09/2016 - 21:19
      +1

      "I offer caring asssistwnce for your young children"

      See how many bites you get.

      Sorry to make fun, but that is one hell of a typo.

  • [Deactivated] on 21/09/2016 - 09:49
    +13

    If you believe that freeing up time from employment will give you the motivation to start your entrepreneurial exploits, you're probably heading down the wrong route.

    Starting a business is a massive financial drain. If you're concerned about earning $120/w so your partner wouldn't be shocked at the cash drain, this is putting it into high gear and then some.

    Some people have quit their day jobs to start a business, but these tend to be people who were working physical jobs with lots of driving. They couldn't possibly work on their side projects whilst at work. You're in an office environment. Whilst not perfectly ethical, your office down time can be turned into productive time.

    If working and starting a business is too tiring, when a business is running, it is even more work. Most businesses can be started (scouting, permits, licenses, acquisition, renovations) can all be done whilst still a full time job.

    Don't get me wrong. I'm not discouraging business, I'm advocating simultaneous employment.

    • abb on 21/09/2016 - 11:15
      +1

      "Whilst not perfectly ethical, your office down time can be turned into productive time."

      Ethics aside, this has huge legal risks. Your employer may be able to claim your new business's IP…

      The rest of your post has some good points, but it also depends what kind of business. OP might have the time and ability to do some business administration and marketing after hours, but be too mentally drained to do technical work (programming, for example).

      • [Deactivated] on 21/09/2016 - 11:59
        +1

        Australian law doesn't cover IP outside the scope of employment. However, if OP is working on other engineering projects, then yes, that's a legal problem and an unacceptable ethical problem.

    • z0s0 on 21/09/2016 - 18:58
      +1

      I respectfully disagree with this.

      12 years ago I was working full time (as a software engineer). I dropped down to part time (probably ~20hrs per week) to give myself time and mental space to start working on a business.

      After a year of that I realised that I needed 100% of my mental capacity to really have a decent chance of getting the business off the ground - so I quit the job entirely and lived on savings.

      One year later I knew it was the right decision.

      10 years on, business has been going great and I haven't had a job since.

      Don't underestimate the mental energy demanded by entrepreneurial ventures; it's a tough and lonely road - and can be a real emotional rollercoaster. By comparison, there are many industries (software obviously being one of them) where the startup capital required is comparatively small.

      • magikz on 21/09/2016 - 19:09

        Thanks for your insight. I'm looking to one day start up my own web based product. I quit my engineering desk job about 2 months ago and working for a tech startup. I'm learning a lot, but I still agreed to work one day a week at my old job so I have 6 day weeks at the moment. Still trying to finish the book on AngularJS to get me moving.

      • [Deactivated] on 21/09/2016 - 20:04
        +1

        You're actually supporting my opinion.

        You started your business whilst working, albeit part time. You gained the confidence to let go of your existing job to chase a lead that is no longer just an idea.

        I worked 40 hours a week when I opened my first business. I'm not claiming that everyone should work like that, but I found comfort in knowing I had something to fall back on. It took away the fear of failure, fear that could otherwise cripple my chances of success.

      • Tonster76 on 22/09/2016 - 02:11

        Your strategy had some merit, unlike the OP who just wants to chuck in their job and ask an internet forum how they could make a few bucks while they become an entrepreneur

        • ChurchMouth on 22/09/2016 - 14:39

          Isn't that a bit harsh Tonster? I spend most of my spare time working on my entrepreneurial stuff but it isn't close to commercial yet. And I risk missing the opportunity completely with how slow I am moving.

        • ChurchMouth on 22/09/2016 - 14:40

          P.S. I have zero chance of flexible working arrangement in my organisation.

        • deal seeking missile on 25/09/2016 - 01:20

          @ChurchMouth: if you don't mind me asking, what kind of stuff are you planning on taking commercial? Perhaps we can offer better advise if we know the entrepreneurial direction you want to go in.

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