Tips for Finding a Great Hourly Job

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There are plenty of reasons to set your sights on an hourly job, rather than a salaried position. For example, a part-time, hourly gig can form a solid foundation for a growing freelance business. 

Perhaps you have young children at home, and would prefer the flexibility of an hourly schedule. Or you're retired and considering options that will help you remain in the workforce without having to work full-time. For whatever reason, you may not want to commit to full-time salaried employment at this point in your working life.

Many hourly jobs even pay more than salaried positions, have a strong employment outlook, and may even offer benefits such as health insurance. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that dental assistants earned a median wage of $19.27 per hour in 2019, and this rate is predicted to rise by 11% by 2018-2028, which is much faster than average.

5 Ways to Find a Great Hourly Job

If you're interested in securing one of these jobs, here's where to look for opportunities:

1. General Job Sites and Apps

Most of the sites you'd use to find a salaried job offer options for hourly workers, too. Go to almost any of the top search engines—Monster, Indeed, CareerBuilder, Google for Jobs, etc. - and you'll find either a filter for hourly or part-time work, or an option to search by keyword among the advanced search options. If you choose the latter, enter "hourly" among your keywords to see the jobs that fall into this category, or select from among the top-paying hourly job titles and search by your preferences.

Don't forget about apps. Nowadays, you don't need to block off time at your computer to search for hourly work.

Many of the biggest job sites, such as LinkedIn and Craigslist, have mobile and app versions that work just as well as the desktop experience, and make it easier to look for jobs on the fly (or away from the prying eyes and monitoring software of your employer).

2. Targeted Job Sites

Want to see curated lists of hourly or part-time jobs? Try a specialty job site. Some, like Snagajob, are free to use, while others, like FlexJobs, require a small fee to register. Also check out the best sites for freelance jobs. All have the benefit of being geared specifically toward workers who are looking for positions that veer away from the standard 9-to-5, 40-hour-week model.

3. Temp Agencies

No longer just a way to keep a roof over your head when unemployment isn't an option, temp agencies such as Manpower and OfficeTeam can be a great source of hourly work. Temp jobs come in all shapes and sizes, from part-time, temporary work, to full-time positions, some of which might become permanent.

4. The Old-Fashioned Way

Especially for retail workers, keeping your eyes open as you go about your daily routine can help you find the perfect hourly position. Check the website, look for signs advertising part-time positions in your favorite stores, restaurants, and businesses, and be prepared with a resume highlighting your relevant experience. Check your local newspaper "Help wanted" classifieds—most are online as well as in the paper.

Just be wary of scams. Hunting for jobs in the real, brick-and-mortar world means that you'll be exposed to plenty of dubious-looking flyers and ads, many of them promising fast money for inexperienced workers.

Bottom line: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Familiarize yourself with more warning signs of job scams here.

5. Networking

Many jobs are now filled via networking activity. Jobvite's 2019 Job Seeker Nation Survey reports that 50% of respondents heard about jobs from friends. Don't forget about this effective way of finding work, just because you're looking for a job that pays by the hour.

Inexperienced networkers might find this job search method intimidating at first, but the most important thing to remember is that networking is really just another word for relationship building, and unless you live on an island, all by yourself, you've probably already got plenty of experience of that already.

The key is to communicate with your friends, family, and former colleagues, and let them know what you're looking for and what you have to offer.

Chances are, the majority of the people you know managed to snag their jobs in a similar way. There's no reason why they wouldn't be willing to help you out—especially if it helps them or their employer fill a vacancy.

Reach out to connections. Make coffee dates. Accept invitations to social events and formal networking functions. Every time you make contact with a new person, or someone you haven't seen in a while, you could be getting just that little bit closer to the hourly job of your dreams.