Ask HN: How to find flexible, part time work?

9 pointswilsonnb27y ago1 comments

About two years from now, I'm planning on going back to to get a second bachelors in a totally different field (music education, for those wondering).

I'm hoping to find a part time software development job with flexible hours so that I focus as much as possible on the new degree while still bringing in some income. Preferably the kind of job where it doesn't matter if my coding is done between 9PM and 1AM as long as it gets done.

It doesn't have to be that well paid as my wife will still have her full time job, but I would like to contribute as much as possible and not have to go back to delivering pizzas or working for minimum wage on campus.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone had done something similar or had any advice. What fields have the most part time developers, what fields have the most remote work, that sort of thing.

For reference, I will be about four years out of my first bachelors degree and probably moving to the Richmond, VA area for the second bachelors.

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itamarst7y ago

Your best bet is to negotiate at your current job. You have specific knowledge that is very expensive to replace, usually: technologies, internal code, who knows what, business logic, etc.. Your manager knows you. You have lots of value compared to random person off the street. The pitch is "I'm going to be moving, but would love to keep working for you part-time and remote."

This is how many people get their first part-time job, e.g. https://codewithoutrules.com/2018/01/08/part-time-programmer... (though usually not as short hours).

Lacking that, for really short hours you can:

1. Get freelance work. Since you don't want to Run A Business, talking to other programmers you know is reasonable way to do this. "hey, does your company need another pair of hands for extra projects?" It's not a long term plan nor will it maximize income, but not clear you need a long-term plan.

2. Various agencies can help you find freelance contract work, e.g. Gun.io.

3. Find early stage startups (with little funding) that have full time job postings. Say "I know you want full time, but how about part time." They're low on cash, so more willing to compromise on hours, sometimes (I know someone who has done this.) Bootstrapped companies might be in this category too. Ignore their job ad, just reach out anyway. Small companies are also good because there's less likely to be HR person throwing your application in the trash for not fitting the mold.