Hey there fellow Apprentices,
This discussion piece was co-authored with Scott Stockdale, a fellow writer and self-development enthusiast who has been a well of inspiration for me ever since I first read one of his articles on Medium from back in the day.
Scott has created his own portfolio career in his 20s as a part-time SEO manager, host of Entrepreneurs Can Party Podcast, writer on Medium (with over 3.5k followers) and course instructor on Udemy, Skillshare and Zero to Mastery with over 1,000 students to date. In short, he’s pretty awesome.
He’s found the sweet spot within passive and active income - building out his diversified income streams, while also negotiating a part-time remote role that gives him the financial security to play long-term games and invest his time into creating content that really makes the difference. Check out his amazing stories and practical advice on how to follow in his footsteps here.
And that’s exactly what we’d like to discuss with you today… That going part-time in your 20s might be the unexpected career choice you’ve been looking for. Let’s get into it.
Introduction
We live in a world of dichotomy. It’s either 40 hours a week working for someone else and sacrificing your evenings and weekends to get ahead or going full-time entrepreneur and moving back in with your parents to make it possible. You’re either employed or self-employed with no in-between.
At least that’s what the LinkedIn gurus say. All while selling you their latest online course for the small investment of £497 plus your left kidney. They tell you sacrifice is the name of the game. It’s either lifestyle or freedom that has to go. All you have to do is make a choice.
But, what if I told you there were other options?
Surprise surprise, there are.
You can do both - work for someone else for a few days a week AND work for yourself the rest of the time. It’s not only more achievable in the short term, it’s also a great stepping stone towards the life you want to live.
Going part-time is a choice that’s totally open to you in your 20s. You’re not a failure for quitting the world of full-time work. Nor are you a failure for not going headfirst into entrepreneurship. You’re making an active choice that works for you right now. If it changes in the future and you want to go back to full-time work or full-on entrepreneurship, that’s totally fine too. It’s just the next step in your squiggly career.
Regardless of your goals, part-time work in your 20s is an option worth considering. Get it right and it can give you the freedom to monetise your interests while earning a stable income and working with a team you enjoy. But, get it wrong and you can end up working full-time for a 3-day pay check while never finding enough time to explore your interests.
Let’s explore how to make part-time work and the steps it takes to get there.
Which roles are part time?
Any full-time role can become a part-time role. You’ll “just” need to to build your skills so that you are difficult to replace within the organisation. This gives you the leverage to dictate the terms you want, because your employer would rather have you part-time than not at all.
If you can link your role to a revenue-generating activity for the business, it will be even easier. To do this, consider an agency or consultancy as an employer for service-based skills or a manufacturer for product-based skills.
Examples of Revenue Generating Roles:
Project Management
Product - Product Designer, Developer.
Sales - Business Development, Account Management.
Marketing - SEO, Copywriting, Email, Graphic Design.
Industry Experts - Specialists with specific knowledge.
Mastering those skills might require going full-time to begin with. For Scott this was the perfect environment to get 2 years of experience under his belt before negotiating the terms of his current role as an SEO manager (3 days a week, salary, remote). It was in this time that he built up his leverage (& confidence) by learning a skill set that was in high demand, which was clear by the number of recruiters in his DMs inviting him for interviews.
But, it could also mean starting your own business and learning those skills along the way. For Charlie, the experience of running 5-figure projects, scaling a 39-person team and delivering for over 100 clients in his first two businesses set him up for a 3-day project management contract in November 2021 once he’d closed his second business. He had a skill set and a client who knew his experience and was willing to bring him in on their project.
From both of our experiences, it’s clear that you don’t need to specialise from the moment you start your first role. You can begin broad by trying lots of different areas of the business and only focus your efforts once you find out what you enjoy. The mixture of hard and soft skills you develop along the way will place you in good stead for a part-time role.
Negotiating a part-time contract
To ask for a part-time role, you need to show simply and effectively how your skills are in demand and the value you’ve brought to the organisation. This will take some preparation and the conversation won’t be easy. But, if you don’t stand up for what you want from work, no-one else will. Here are a few things to consider before scheduling that meeting with your manager:
Have Walk-Away Options
Reach out to recruiters and competitors to line up interviews with other organisations to find what’s out there. This will not only give you the confidence to negotiate the terms you want, but it will also leave you with a strong best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) should the conversation with your current employer not go the way you want.
Quantify Your Impact
You’ve already done some great work so far. Spend some time looking back over the last few months and write down the responsibilities you’ve had. Link them back to revenue or cost-savings for the business. Include the number of hours training, any certificates you’ve achieved and client feedback along the way. Use it all as evidence for your case as an effective employee.
Start With A Trial
If no-one in your organisation has gone part-time before, show your manager how it will work by asking for a 3 month trial. For bonus points, find the person who will cover for your remaining two days a week and outline how you’ll help them to do as good a job as you. Use successful examples of Job Sharing to further your case even more.
Talk to Other Part-Timers
Once you’ve got walk-away options down, evidence of your impact so far and examples of part-time work going well, it’s time to get talking. Be proactive and find out if anyone else has ever worked part-time and then reach out. Ask them how they negotiated the role to understand the nuances of your organisation. But, be prepared to be a trailblazer - you might be the first to ask for 3 days a week. Embrace it. You’re unique and deserve a working style that suits who you are.
Then send the email to your manager. Align it with the annual review or grab a one-off check-in depending on the time of year. Push for an in-person meeting if possible. Then just have the conversation. Make your ask, use your evidence and let them know you have alternatives. More than likely, they’ll want to find a way to make it work. If they don’t, then consider taking those interviews seriously to find the right employer for you.
What to do with the 2 days a week
So, now you’ve gone part-time… What’s next?
With a guaranteed monthly salary coming in each month (albeit less than before), you can now invest time into what you enjoy doing, while also building for the long-term rather than chasing short-term cash.
This could mean taking your hobbies more seriously:
Going pro with your favourite sport.
Investing into relationships with your friends.
Reading all the books on the bedside cabinet.
Exploring your obsession with painting.
Travel to all those weekend destinations you’ve been planning.
Or it could mean joining the creator economy:
Writing on Medium about your favourite topics.
Building your personal brand on TikTok or LinkedIn.
Creating a Udemy course on your part-time expertise.
Starting a newsletter like this one for people like you.
Freelancing your skills to more clients.
There’s no right answer here. You can spend your new found time in anyway you wish. But, if you are keen to earn an equivalent full-time salary, you’ll want to focus on the later points.
For Scott, he started with writing on Medium and then adding a link to sign-up to his mailing list at the end of each article by using ConvertKit. This allowed him to write in public on a platform, while building a list of emails that he owns and could build digital products like courses for. He also found that regularly sending emails led to unexpected opportunities in freelancing work from his readers.
For Charlie, he invested time into building his personal brand on LinkedIn, using the platform to share his expertise and network with other creators. This gave him a platform to start conversations with potential clients and pitch his coaching services, while nurturing trust through his Mastery In Your 20s newsletter on Substack.
In both cases, the use of a discovery channel (Medium & LinkedIn) to find new readers and a newsletter (ConvertKit & Substack) to build trust with them was at the heart of how they built online.
Conclusion
The road to part-time is going to be bumpy. It’s also not going to be for everyone and that’s okay. But, it’s worth giving a try if you wanted to dip your toes into the creator economy or wanted to explore that passion of yours a little more.
Work doesn’t have to be 40 hours a week. The times are changing. Lines being blurred in how we work. Pioneers are negotiating part-time jobs, working as contractors & adopting 4-day work weeks. If you want to join them, starting part-time could be the perfect stepping stone that you didn’t know existed. Give it a fair look-in and see if it’s right for you.
What’s been your experience of part-time work? Is it something you’ve tried before or has it never been on you agenda? We’d love to hear all about it.
Love what you're doing with Mastery In Your 20s, Charlie, and it was fun co-writing this piece with you! I hope your subscribers find it helpful :)
Love this edition, Charlie.
I've been "part-time" since 2020. It's given me the space and flexibility to build new competencies and explore options. Really recommend for someone not too sure of their path.