by Nadine Odo

Created on: July 29, 2008

Looking for a part time job in Georgia? In my mind, that probably puts you in one of three categories. You may be a mom looking for a job that allows you to start your work day after you've taken your kids to school and to end your work day just before the school bus reaches your home. Or, you may be retired and either bored or in need of a little extra spending money. Or, maybe you've just moved to the Peach State and need a job - any job.

One would think that it's easy to find a part time job. You'd expect companies to want part timers because they're not eligible for such expensive perks as health insurance and because they can fill shifts that the regular employees don't care for. If you live in Atlanta, finding a job is much easier than if you live in any of the smaller cities. For example, I just looked up "part time" on Yahoo! HotJobs for Augusta, Georgia, where I live, and found 109 jobs, mostly work-from-home schemes and Army National Guard positions, but only a handful of what I would consider good jobs (mostly in nursing). In Atlanta, on the other hand, there are 364 advertised positions, including jobs for such well known companies as UPS, Kaiser Permanente, Grady Memorial, and KPMG LLP.

If you really need a part time job, the best solution is probably to live in or close to Atlanta or an area that caters to tourists such as Savannah.

If that doesn't work for you, look to companies that hire a lot of people, although you may come up short there, as well. The Medical College of Georgia (the health care industry is one of biggest employers in Augusta) is advertising for 98 jobs on its website, but only one is for a part time position. Your best bet is probably as a sales clerk at the mall, perhaps at a department store or a kiosk. It's not really that bad a gig if you love shopping, and especially if you're looking for an excuse to get out of the house and talk to new people.

Another avenue is a temp agency. To join an agency, you generally have to take tests to determine your typing speed and proficiency with word processing and spreadsheet software, submit to a drug screen, and go through a criminal background check. Most temp agencies find people to fill administrative and blue collar jobs, although some specialize in hiring for accounting and management positions as well.

In some cases, an employer may be willing to split a full time position into two part time positions, but you will probably have to do quite a bit of negotiating to come to such an agreement.

Whichever method you use to find a part time job, be prepared for a lengthy job search. A few years ago, one of my neighbors decided to quit her six-figure job so she could spend more time with her young children. Last year, she decided to step back into the workaday world by getting a part time job in the same field. It took her nearly a year to find that job, even though she has an MBA.

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