In the current job market, many of the available part time positions are in the field of customer service. This should not come as much of a surprise; over the last few decades the US..economy has made a transition from a manufacturing based economy to one which is more service oriented, at least in the job markets seen in most urban areas. As such, if you are looking for a part time job, much of what is available to you is likely to fall into the category of customer service jobs.
Within the field of part time customer service jobs, there are a multitude of possibilities. There are many kinds of customer service jobs out there in a variety of different industries. There are overnight customer service jobs for those who have schedules or lifestyles which permit a third shift schedule or simply enjoy working on this non- traditional shift.
There are customer service jobs which you can perform from home rather than having to commute to an office to perform them – there are, for instance chat customer service jobs, where you communicate with your employer’s customers over the web using an IM client or proprietary messaging interface on the company website. These kinds of online customer service jobs are great for people who want or need a part time customer service job but are unwilling or unable to make two commutes in one day. Of course, some of these online customer service jobs do still require that the employee report to a traditional office to perform their duties, but there are a growing number of customer service jobs where it is possible for the part time employee to telecommute or ecommute.
If you want to find customer service jobs which fit into your schedule, the procedure is a relatively simple one. The classified ads section of your local newspaper is a good source as are online job posting boards such as Monster and Careerbuilder. You can also look at the jobs postings on online bulletin boards like Craigslist and Backpages – in larger cities these are an especially good place to begin your customer service jobs search. Many employers are looking to fill part time positions in their customer service departments. Especially in the last few months of the year there is a demand for part time customer service associates to help answer the questions and concerns of customers during the busy holiday shopping season. Keep in mind that some of these jobs will be seasonal, so if you are looking for a more permanent part time customer service job opportunity these may not be the positions you are really looking for.
So what are the prerequisites for getting part time customer service jobs? There is generally a relatively relaxed educational requirement when it comes to these jobs – there may be a high school degree or equivalency document such as a GED required of candidates, but it is rare to see a part time customer service position (with the exception of some technically oriented customer service jobs such as IT support helpdesk positions) which requires a college degree, let alone one in any specific area. This makes part time customer service jobs especially well suited to college students who are still working towards their degrees.
Aside from any educational requirements (which as stated above is not generally stringent), candidates for any customer service jobs either full or part time do need to have a solid set of communication and general people skills. After all, their job is to deal with customers, plain and simple. Many of these customers will of course have questions or complaints, so the ability to deal tactfully with people, even those who are upset is an essential asset to being successful in a customer service position.
If you are trying to find a part time job and have the necessary communication and problem solving skills, a part time customer service job could work well for you. Whether to supplement your income, make ends meet while you attend school or because a part time schedule is best for other reasons, you may find that these positions are just what the doctor ordered.
