Alternatives to the 9 5 Workday
We all dread the work week. Those same old scheduled hours just don't seem to be what as a child we pictured ourselves doing for a living. The job is all right, nothing great but the same old schedule is so mundane. You wish there was something you could do to better suit your own needs and schedule. The great news is work forces are changing their old 9-5 schedules to offer more options to their workers. You are no longer thought to be normal with a 9-5 job in fact you are thought to be a dinosaur. So what alternatives do you have to open up a better schedule for you as an employee?
If you simply cannot stand the idea of being locked down for a set eight hours a day all week long you do have some options. Many businesses today offer what is known as a swing shift. The swing shift commonly works like this an employee works the first three days of a week and then are off the other 4 the next week the employee will work four days and be off three. These shifts often require more hours in a day than your normal five-day a week job. Some companies prefer to do their swing shifts per weeks. These type places commonly have an employee working day shift for a set amount of weeks and then the employee will go to nights for the same amount of time. Weekly swing shifts do not commonly work the traditional five days a week.
If the shift is what you dislike about a 9-5 job, you may also consider working a second or third shift job. Shift hours vary depending upon the company you are working for. Second shift encompasses the early evening hours while third generally takes your later night hours. Many companies today have a second and/or third shift option available. If you are a night owl one of these shifts may be a better option for you.
Part time work is also an option you may wish to seek. Part time work cuts your hours to less than 32 hours per week. You may work a set shift with part time work or your schedule may change each day or week. Part time work does not bring home as good of a pay check but leaves you more time to do the things you want to do. This can be a great option if money is not a large issue. This is a great idea for young teens and college students.
Many companies today are finding that it is cheaper to have home workers than office workers. If you work for a company that offers home positions you may want to consider attempting to move into one of those positions. Each company that offers these positions has different requirements of their employees. Your hours and schedule will depend upon the company and job you will be performing at home. This not only saves you time and money on commuting to work but can also save heaps on lunch!
If your company doesn't offer a work at home option but it is something you would like to do check into finding things you can do from home to earn money. The options here are endless. You may have to keep another job to meet the bills but maybe you can cut back to part time or better yet seasonal work such as cabin and houseboat cleaning for the local boat dock. Some ideas that you may use to earn a bit of spare cash might be selling items on Ebay, making and selling handmade crafts and jewelry, holiday cards, decorations, soaps, candles, jellies, candy, etc. Choose a hobby you enjoy make up a batch of items what ever they may be and then sell them on Ebay, Local Salesnetwork, etc. You can make flyers to tack up at local stores and groceries or maybe even send out a mailer for your local neighborhood. You could even use your local paper to run an advertisement of your product.
Other ideas of working at home may include your mind and time more over than your hobby. If you enjoy having your opinion heard do some research and sign up for some survey panels. You can use online forums such as getpaidhwy.com to find those that are the best to join. If you write you can freelance and make a bit of money. There is no better place to start freelancing than the site you are at right now: Helium.
If these options are still not what you are looking for you may have to look outside the box for a job you wish to do. You can always use your skills to be a handy man and do odd jobs for neighbors such as mow yards, fix leaks, wash windows, or a bit of mechanic work if you know how. Some other options to you might be the much dreaded baby-sitting or pet sitting. You might also run errands and pay bills for busy families or elderly people in your neighborhood for a small fee.
You now have some general ideas on how to branch out of the regular work routine. The choice is yours as to what kind of work you choose to do. Use one or a number of these ideas until you find something that you are happy to do. It may not be easy finding what you want to do but it is well worth the time and effort when you find and land that perfect job for you!
