By Victoria Rollison
Feel like your nose is permanently attached to the grindstone? It might be time to reassess your work hours to regain some balance. Rescu. dishes up the pros and cons of going part time.
How often do you get to the end of a long week and think how nice would it be to work part time? Too often, a full time job starts out as 40 hours a week and quickly turns into 60. It’s no wonder so many of us start to feel burnt out and dream of a more balanced lifestyle.
Working part time is accepted as a good option for people with young children. So, why shouldn’t it be an equally good option for people who want to have more balance in their lives? Isn’t it a good idea to get off the treadmill and make time to smell the roses?
Working part time would leave space in our lives to:
- Do things for ourselves – We might decide to develop our creative side, pursue hobbies we are passionate about, start a blog, or work on being fit and healthy.
- Do things to help others – Wouldn’t it be nice to spend more time with our family? Or to volunteer to help others? Think of the satisfaction of using your skills to make the world a better place.
- Do things to help the planet – You might find fulfilment campaigning for the environment by joining Greenpeace or other environmental organisations.
How will it affect your career?
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 45% of Australian women work part time and 71% of all part time workers are women. But few of these women are in senior positions or professional jobs. The reality is that going part time permanently has the potential to affect your progression up the career ladder, no matter how good you are at your job.
But if you’ve decided you really want to shift down a gear, you should speak to your boss about working part time. Can you job share? If you can’t work part time in your current role, are there more flexible options? Can you promote yourself as a freelancer? If your field of work doesn’t offer part time options, it might be time for a career change.
Remember that part time doesn’t have to mean half time. Think about working four days instead of five. The extra day may be all you need to revitalise you!
Can you afford to work less?
Before you make the change from full time to part time work, you will have to totally rework your budget to make sure you can afford to reduce your salary. Would you have to move somewhere less expensive so your rent or mortgage payments are covered by a reduced income? If you are to enjoy your new part time career, it is important that you don’t feel stressed about your reworked budget and that you have the support of your household.
Check out part time and contract positions at www.parttimeonline.com.au. If you are interested in doing a creative course in your new-found spare time, visit www.lifestylelearningonline.com.
Going part time is a big decision, but you may find it is the best thing you have ever done!
