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I am a college student who is majoring in Computer Science. I understand that there are very few jobs for people with Computer Science degrees that allow you to work part-time. Even so, I would like to know of any that might exist. They don't have to be entry-level positions.

I am looking for part-time jobs where you work every day. Not jobs where you work full-time for awhile, and then wait for your next gig.

Please don't suggest jobs that don't require any knowledge of Computer Science. No suggestions like, "waiter", "cab driver", etc.

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closed as too broad by Philip Kendall, David K, sf02, Dukeling, gnat May 14 at 22:29

Please edit the question to limit it to a specific problem with enough detail to identify an adequate answer. Avoid asking multiple distinct questions at once. See the How to Ask page for help clarifying this question. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

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    Hi LuminousNutria, your question right now is really more of a Shopping List Question. These types of questions aren't a good fit for our site because they are fairly open-ended and aren't going to have one answer that is better than others. – David K May 14 at 18:30
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I know someone who pursued this route in her career. She found that the most control she could exercise along these lines was as a consultant, where she accepted tasks and then had control over when and how to work in order to complete the tasks. (Eventually, she advanced enough in her career to where in order to be challenged she had to accept work that used a higher percentage of her time.)

The other option I know of is that some companies will pay you to write code piecemeal instead of having a contract. The model is something like: you have a short period of time to finish this project while meeting a standard of quality. If you don't meet the standard of quality or finish in the specified time, you get paid nothing.

Oh, also small companies and start ups sometimes have part-time roles, although in some cases they want people who are willing to transition to full-time if the business grows.

A few warnings about this:

  1. These career options usually are less stable than normal jobs. You are likely to spend a larger percentage of your time between opportunities.
  2. Assuming you are in the USA, in a lot of cases, these would come without health care. You would need to make other arrangements there.
  3. As mentioned in another answer, having hard constraints like this without having a lot of experience or a track record can make it hard to find people willing to make arrangements for you. The person I mentioned first did not start her career working as a contractor part-time. IIRC, it was 8-10 years into her career that she decided to make the change. Edit: developing specialized skills within the industry would also make it easier to set terms on how you would like to work.
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  • Thank you, would it help to specialize in a Computer Science field where there is likely to be high demand for awhile? – LuminousNutria May 14 at 18:58
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    Yes, specialized knowledge would absolutely make it more likely that you can pull this off. – dbeer May 15 at 17:24
  • Thanks for the info! I'm going to look around for good specializations then. – LuminousNutria May 15 at 21:45
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Part time employment is typically associated with a particular position, not a type of job. That is, you can find part time positions as a software engineer, system admin, full stack developer, UX engineer etc. It just depends on the needs and flexibility of the employer in the particular opening.

I am looking for part-time jobs where you work half the time of a full-time position every day. Not jobs where you work full-time for awhile, and then don't work fora while before getting your next gig.

You are getting pretty specific in your requirements, which is certainly your prerogative, but just be aware that if you set too fine a filter you may not find any jobs that match your requirements. This is particularly true at the start of your career when employers are taking a gamble on you as a new employee. Once you have a verifiable track record you may find employers can be more flexible.

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Part time software developer, or part time system administrator, or database expert, devops etc.

Even when they don't advertise positions as being part time, as it's an unusual demand, employers may still be open for part time during negotiation.

In general, most if not all possible job titles of computer science offer part time positions. It's a matter of finding appropriate companies, more than it's a career path issue.

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Your best bet may be to look into QA contracting/consulting. Many small companies don't need full time QA (this will necessarily include all the perils of start up life and contracting life), but will greatly benefit from someone who can write automated tests.

This suggestion is just one option. I am sure the knowledgeable folks here will supply more.

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  • Thank you for this answer. I have edited my question to make it clearer. I'd prefer work where you work every day. – LuminousNutria May 14 at 18:28

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