Happy New Year, HN!<p>Does anyone here work part-time in tech? I’m talking about roles like developer, solution architects and even DevRel folksl. I’ve been thinking about going part-time myself, but most people tell me it’s nearly impossible to make it work in the corporate tech world.<p>If you’ve managed to pull it off, I’d love to hear about it!<p>What kind of role are you in?
How did you make the part-time arrangement happen?
What’s been the hardest part of working part-time in tech?
Are there specific companies or setups that are more open to part-time roles?<p>Any tips, advice, or experiences you can share would be super helpful!<p>Thanks, and wishing everyone a fantastic year ahead!
Don’t call it “part time”, become an independent contractor, focus on a niche, and only bill how ever many hours you like. I have spent long periods of time only billing ~3 hours per day. Great for life/work balance. Btw, the more you bill the more your time will be valued. Don’t make a concession, mark yourself up as premium.
I've been working 20 hours a week at a major company for the last 7 years and I love it. Full health benefits.<p>> What kind of role are you in?<p>SRE/Programmer<p>> How did you make the part-time arrangement happen?<p>I accidentally fell into it when I went part time to do a masters degree to consider switching careers but then, when I decided I didn't want to pursue the other career, I just kept doing part time and my company was fine with it. I work Mondays (7 hours), Tuesdays (7 hours), and Wednesdays (6 hours) and then I have Thursdays through Sundays off. I get paid half of course but it's still a good salary (grateful to be a programmer!).<p>> What’s been the hardest part of working part-time in tech?<p>Sometimes it's easier for me to take calls on Thursdays or Fridays instead of pushing back on it (technically I could, but I don't want to jeopardize my part time status). This is fine as I just make up the time in the following week but it means that I can't easily treat Thursdays and Fridays exactly like a weekend as far as scheduling trips, etc.<p>> Are there specific companies or setups that are more open to part-time roles?<p>I did it at a huge company so I think it's possible anywhere but I already had a great reputation and my company really wanted to keep me, and I think it would be harder to do without having a great reputation. I get the impression that companies generally don't like doing this because of the possible contagion effect of other workers wanting to do the same, so I generally don't talk about it much at work.<p>> Any tips, advice, or experiences you can share would be super helpful!<p>Four days a week part time is much more do-able than three days a week. Don't limit yourself just to companies/jobs that explicitly advertise part time work, though those certainly also make sense to apply to, but just make part time a key part of the negotiation process. Consider emphasizing flexibility.
It's easy in the Netherlands. There's a part-time culture there. Tech salaries are lower though, but still enough to make a living wage. 4 days is normal, 3 days not really.
I do. It is difficult, but not impossible. I deliberately seek out clients with specific business goals, smaller projects, or ongoing and repetitive needs for retainer contracts. I am open to full-time work but often decline offers for salaried roles because they tend to involve more effort, less autonomy, and less money. Certain one-off projects can also be full-time engagements, but it's a different ballgame when you enter a contract as an independent consultant and work on your own terms. My best advice for securing part-time or any type of consulting work is to network as much as possible, meet up with people, and build relationships with business owners, founders, and people in your industry.<p>Happy New Year.